Sparking the Loose Canon
by tennismaniac19
Summary: Flipping through Hogwarts: A History won't tell you about the deadly Gryffindor-Ravenclaw rivalry, the famous Yule Ball of '77 and what really happened on Halloween '81. Starring The Marauders, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Dorcas Meadows, Marlene McKinnon, Regulus Black and several exciting OCs. [Previously titled Stars, Scars and All That Jazz] [LilyxJames] [SiriusxOC]
1. Beginnings Are The Worst

**A/N Hey guys! So I've started a new story. Please don't kill me (directed at readers of The Inadvertent Folly of Underestimation) but I've just been in a very Sirius Black phase. And by that, I mean that I really wanted to write a Marauders Era fic. This is the first chapter. I'm not sure how it turned out. So obviously I need major feedback.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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The train left King's Cross at exactly 11 am. Four girls sat themselves comfortably in their compartment, before launching into the details of their different term breaks.

"France was terrible this time! I met the most annoying person ever!"

"At least, you went to France! I was stuck at home while my family did some 'much needed' spring cleaning at the end of summer."

"Speaking of Summer, did you know that she and Black had quite the public break up?"

"Why are we talking about them again?"

"Because Sia here nearly hexed him for creating a spectacle in front of the first years!"

Three pairs of eyes trained on the black haired girl sitting by the window. She had chosen to remain silent all this time, preferring to listen to her friends with amusement. But now she found herself being dragged into things unwantedly.

"Spill, Sia!" cried her dorm mate Anna.

"There's not much to say really. There were having a huge row and some of the first years were getting intimidated. So I told him to keep his private affairs 'private'," she said, shrugging.

"While pointing her wand at his chin." Added Rowena, her eyes glinting with mischief, having witnessed the scene herself.

"Really, Sia? You've just been made a Prefect. You should know better than to threaten people like that," said Bedelia, disapprovingly.

"That's precisely why I did that. As a 'Prefect', I felt it was my duty to make sure that ass-hat didn't cause any more commotion than he already does," she said seriously, although her sparkling eyes betrayed her.

"Merlin! You're so immature sometimes! I- "

"Oh shove off, Beeds! Sia just told off Sirius Black! That is big news! Do you know how hot he is?"

The three of them groaned as Anna sighed, recalling how fit she found her fellow fifth year. Sia adjusted herself into the corner seat, hoping to steal a few minutes of rest before the Prefects' meeting started.

As much as she liked the peace and quiet of home, she really missed her best friends. Rowena with her quirky sense of humor, thrill for trying new things and exceedingly uncanny 'get real' attitude; Bedelia with her faint French accent, hilarious monotone and awfully blunt observations; Anna with her love for Muggle TV shows, expertise at navigating the depths of the Hogwarts student body and awkward fluster at being complimented.

Ever since being assigned the same dorm at the beginning of their first year, Sia had continued to feel more and more comfortable around them. They understood her and she them. They were all exceedingly bright, having been sorted into Ravenclaw, but also had very refreshing outlooks towards life at Hogwarts.

"Sia? The meeting is about to start. You coming?"

Sia nodded at the dark haired boy standing at the doorway. Andrew was the other Prefect in her year. He was also a Ravenclaw and one of the few people she was friends with.

"So, how was your summer, Andrew?" she asked, closing the compartment door.

"It was alright. Parents had it out about some strange issues. My uncle, Charles, hasn't been answering to any of our letters. Mum thinks something bad must've happened to him, but Dad says it's more likely that he's being a pain."

"But, with the state of affairs now, it's more likely that Mum's right," finished Andrew, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you can't know anything for sure until you actually find him. You can take that as positive, if you like," said Sia, slowly.

"Or a negative," replied Andrew, making them both laugh. Andrew was known to always look at his glass half empty and other people's glasses half full.

Sia wasn't surprised to see the other Prefects in her year. Lily Evans and Remus Lupin from Gryffindor, Julia Bones and Kevin White from Hufflepuff, and of course, Adele Greengrass and Henry Nott from Slytherin. The Head Boy was Frank Longbottom along with Head Girl Alice Prewett.

While the duties were given out, Sia noted that James Potter, newly appointed Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, was eyeing Lily Evans none too subtly. It was remarkable how Potter never learnt to leave the girl alone after 4 years of constant rejection and numerous fights.

Sia was more or less indifferent to Potter herself. She was aware of the fact that his little 'group' thought they were something special owing to a ridiculous amount of pranks, detentions and general chaos they were able to cause. However, it would be interesting to see how things worked out, now that Lupin had been made Prefect and Potter was Quidditch Captain.

"How was your summer, Evans?" came the unmistakably self-assured voice of James Potter.

"Leave me alone, Potter." Her voice was firm and she stepped into a compartment containing a couple of Gryffindors and Severus Snape.

Odd.

"That's odd. What's Snivellus doing with three Gryffindor girls?"

Sia could sense someone walk up behind her, effectively trapping her between them and Potter.

"Black!"

The person behind her recoiled slightly at her sharp tone and turned towards her curiously.

"Would you mind moving? I don't fancy being sandwiched between you and Potter, contrary to most of the Hogwarts female population," she said, not breaking eye contact.

Black surveyed for a second before budging ever so slightly. She took this as the most she was going to get and squeezed past them both, trying to avoid any unnecessary contact.

"Who's that?" she heard him ask Potter, as she moved towards her compartment.

"Artemisia Adams. She's in our year. Ravenclaw. Just got made a Prefect. Why?"

"No reason."

"There's always a reason when you say there's 'no reason'. Come on, spit it out, Padfoot."

That's the last she heard before closing the door to her compartment. _Padfoot._ What an odd nickname.

…

Once they were all settled into their dorm, the four girls pillaged Bedelia's trunk for French goodies. Every summer, she went to visit her maternal grandparents in Paris and would come back laden with the most beautiful gifts (of which the edible ones were wiped out soon after reaching Hogwarts).

"So, what were you saying about an annoying person in France?" asked Rowena, never one to miss interesting pieces of information.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" said Bedelia, sitting up straight on her bed, " I met this horrible boy," Sia exchanged a knowing look with Rowena, "And he had the nerve to correct my French pronunciation!"

"That's it?" Rowena slumped back into her bed, clearly disappointed at her friend's supposedly dramatic holiday encounter.

"Was he at least cute?" asked Anna, half-heartedly. Bedelia hardly ever paid attention to boys other than if they somehow happened to get in her way of maintaining a perfect class schedule.

"Uh well…"

"So he was?"

Anna pounced on her bed, eyes gleaming in delight.

"I didn't say that!"

"But you stopped to consider! You never do that! Back me up here guys!"

"It's true, Beedz. Hesitation is the first step, you know," said Sia, thoroughly enjoying Bedelia's dilemma.

"Yup. Followed by denial," piped up Rowena, giving her a meaningful look.

"Beedz got a crush in Paris! That is so romantic!" sighed Anna, falling into her bed dramatically.

"I did not!"

"Denial!" shouted the other three, as Bedelia huffed and threw on her covers.

…

Fifth year was annoying. Sia found herself rolling her eyes and huffing in frustration more often than not. Sure, they had OWLs this year, but she was getting tired of all the teachers reminding them of the fact. Plus, being a Ravenclaw, they were somehow expected to do better than the others. Which caused the teachers to be even stricter towards them.

Luckily, September had just ended and that meant that Quidditch practice would be starting. Sia couldn't be happier to leave the castle and start warm ups on the pitch.

"Man, I really missed this!" she said, turning her broom and facing her team mate, Evelyn Diggle.

"I know! So tired of McGonagall's tight-lipped disapproval," she replied with a groan.

"And Flitwick's squeals of enthusiasm."

"Not to mention, Slughorn's patronizing attitude."

" _Now, I understand most of you will be dropping this subject next year, but please give it your best,_ " said Evelyn, doing her best imitation of the Potions Master.

" _Tut tut tut, do stop staring at Miss Evans long enough for your cauldron to not burst, Mr. Potter. I'm sure Mr. Black doesn't enjoy being covered in slime every alternate class,_ " added Sia, causing them both to explode into giggles.

"Enough chattering, you lot! Let's get some drills done!" boomed the voice of their Captain and Chaser, Nigel Trent.

Sia and Evelyn were the only girls who played on any of the House teams. Even though professional Quidditch was more than bursting with star female players, three of the four Hogwarts houses hadn't managed to get the message yet.

"Adams! Looks like Potter's been made Captain this year. You know what that means right?"

"All out attack?" replied Sia, uncertainly.

"Exactly. We were damn lucky last year with Jones as the Gryffindor Captain. He didn't let Black swing his Beater's Bat to full effect. But I'm sure Potter will have no problems with that. Which is why I need to devote more practice time with Knightley and Davies. We can't have our Seeker getting knocked out halfway. "

"As for you, Diggle, we can't let Potter take advantage of your stature," he said, referring to Evelyn's petite frame, "You're a damn fine Keeper and we're going to show them exactly what we're made of!"

"Wow. Nigel's finally lost it," whispered Evelyn, while flying towards the hoops.

"Yeah. He really wants to win the Cup one last time before graduating," said Andrew, flexing his right arm with his Beater's Bat.

"More like wants to cream Gryffindor for the first time in his entire career," snorted Sia.

"It's true. Even though we've won the Cup a couple of times with Nigel as Captain, we've never been able to beat Gryffindor," piped up Samuel Davies, the second Beater.

"Oi! What did I say about chattering?"

Everyone flew to their designated spot, not wanting to anger their burly Captain.

…

"I can't believe we just had two consecutive practices just because Slytherin cancelled their booking," groaned Evelyn, walking into the castle.

"At least you weren't dodging Bludgers for four hours," gritted out Sia, shooting a grinning Andrew a weary glare.

Just as they reached the third floor, there was a scrambling of feet and Sia felt herself get knocked into the wall behind her. It took her a few moments to regain her senses as she looked around her in confusion.

Andrew and Evelyn were looking at her with horrified expressions on their faces. She gingerly stood up and massaged her back where it had hit the cold stonewall.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked them, still smarting from the fall. "What just happened?"

"Sia, your hair…"

"My what?" she said, touching her hair and finding it coated with something incredibly slippery.

"What the fuck?! What is this?! Who did this to me?" she asked, confusion and fear rushing through her.

"Instant Lather Shampoo," came a lazy drawl from one of the staircases.

She looked up to see the heads of Potter, Black and Pettigrew.

"What the fuck is WRONG with you?!" Sia screamed at Black.

"Wasn't meant for you. We were hoping to catch Snivelus on one of his nightly prowls," he replied with a bored voice.

"Tell me the Counter Curse then!"

"Can't."

"Excuse me?"

"Doesn't have one yet."

Sia was trying very hard to maintain her composure as Black continued to answer her questions with a decidedly bored expression.

"So am I supposed to walk around with lather in my hair forever?"

Potter must have noted the edge in her voice and decided to answer before his friend.

"It only works when hair grows beyond a certain length. We had prepared it for Snivelus's long hair, so…"

"You mean I have to cut it off?"

"Pretty much," said Black, turning to Potter with slight annoyance, "Why are we still standing here, Prongs? Let's find Snivelus."

With that, they walked off, leaving Sia fuming while Andrew and Evelyn lunged at her to stop her from running after the three Gryffindors.

An hour later, Madam Pompfrey assured her that although nothing would happen to her hair, she'd have to keep it short for a few months in order for the spell to wear off. Evelyn took it up as her personal responsibility to escort Sia back to her dorm. After quickly briefing the three bewildered girls about their friend's sudden change in hairstyle, she left.

"Sia? Are you okay?" asked Anna, cautiously.

"I'm going to murder that freaking bastard," she replied quietly.

…

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 **Ooh. How was it? x_x Please review and tell me how I can improve it.**


	2. Change is the only constant

**A/N Hey there! Back with chapter 2! I hope I'm not confusing everyone with the amount of idiotic detail I have in some places but absolutely nothing at others. Anyway, Sirius Black is hot af. Let us all acknowledge that in peace.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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Ravenclaw-Gryffindor classes were not going so well. It had taken the combined efforts of Rowena, Bedelia, Anna, Andrew and Evelyn to keep Sia at bay. The worst period was probably History of Magic, where no one really paid attention and Sia's animosity towards Black increased tenfold. It wasn't just the fact that he had played a nasty prank on her. He was also unapologetically supercilious about it all. He even had the gall to comment on her hair after Potions one day.

"New look eh? Can't say it's working for you, Adams," he commented casually, passing by her after Slughorn had left.

This time, her friends were too far away to stop her as Sia pulled out her wand and blasted Black off his feet.

"Flipendo!"

Potter and Lupin had stopped walking and spun around to face Sia. She was too quick for anyone to stop her, as she hurled another jinx at Black.

"Tarantellegra!"

Black was immediately pulled to his feet by an invisible force and began dancing with gusto; completely throwing off the dark look of fury he was throwing Sia. People had started to gather now, some chuckling at the dancing Gryffindor, while others looked around in fear.

"Come on, let's go," whispered Rowena, pulling Sia away before any further damage could be done.

"Next time you think of saying anything to me, remember I know a Permanent Balding Spell," she called out to Black, unaware of Potter and Lupin trying desperately to fight back their laughter.

…

A week after the incident outside the dungeons, there had been several attacks on Gryffindors and Ravenclaws in the corridors. What had started off with Black's high-handed attitude, had escalated into a full-blown inter House war. It was now so bad, that Mary McDonald from Gryffindor and Samuel Davies from Ravenclaw had ended up in the Hospital Wing for two days.

The teachers had finally decided to intervene, starting with McGonagall during Monday's Double Transfiguration.

"For some unfathomable reason, students of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw have been engaged in various altercations of late," she paused, while Black and Sia exchanged dirty glances.

"In light of these circumstances, Professor Flitwick and I have decided to take certain remedial measures. You will each be assigned a permanent partner from the opposite House for each subject. As this rule cannot be implemented in each class, it will only be put to effect in Charms, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration."

She glanced around the class, waiting for any arguments, but other than a general murmur of displeasure, nobody said anything.

"Wonderful. For this class, I will pair you up immediately and Professor Flitwick will do the same after lunch."

"Ms. Adams, you will be with Mr. Pettigrew. Ms. Dupont with Mr. Potter, Ms. Diggle with Ms. Evans, Mr. Knightley with Mr. Lupin, Ms. Carlisle with Ms. McKinnon and Ms. Arden with Mr. Black," she finished, passing the last few students briskly.

Sia glared at Black as he sauntered over towards Rowena. Andrew and Lupin had stared an amicable conversation, while Bedelia looked pained to see Potter grin at her cheekily. Anna and Evelyn had been the luckiest, being paired with Marlene McKinnon and Lily Evans respectively.

Turning towards her partner, Sia resisted the urge to scowl as he shuffled uncertainly. Pettigrew was of average height, with blonde hair and watery blue eyes. He was the least extraordinary in the group of four Sia had come to despise.

By the end of the class, Pettigrew hadn't been reduced to pile of feathers, and no one else was any worse for wear. McGonagall thus deemed the arrangement successful.

Lunch was a completely different issue. Everyone was bursting with complaints or observations about their new partners.

"Potter is so annoying! Ugh! He just kept alternating between sending longing looks at Lily and guffawing at something with Black!"

"I hear you, Beedz. Since he kept staring at Lily, I could feel his eyes on us as well. It was pretty creepy," shuddered Evelyn.

"I quite liked Marlene. She's really funny and laughed her head off when Potter fell flat on his face," giggled Anna.

"I think everyone laughed at that. Even Remus couldn't stop himself from snorting. You know, he's actually pretty decent. I don't know why he hangs around with Potter and Black," supplied Andrew with a shrug.

"Speaking of Black, don't you have anything to say Ro?" asked Sia impatiently.

"There isn't much to say. He didn't say a word. Or do anything. Other than make weird faces at Potter," was all that Rowena had to say.

"Really?" Rowena nodded her head uninterestedly, as her friend continued to glare at her.

"Charms next. Wonder who we'll be partnered with there?" mused Anna.

"Can't be worse than Potter," muttered Bedelia.

Turns out things could be worse. Bedelia was paired with Black while Sia found herself stuck with Potter. Rowena was now with Pettigrew, Andrew had been paired with Lily, Anna was with Lupin and Evelyn with Marlene.

Things could only stay calm for so long. Potter continued to annoy the bollocks off Sia, as she groaned to herself and smacked her head on the table.

"Woah. Tone down the violence, Adams," he said with a grin.

She flashed him a murderous glare and he quickly backed away from her.

"I don't get you. Why do you always look like someone's made you try all the earwax flavoured Bertie Bott's Beans?"

"I think it's the general aura you and your friends seem to exude," she muttered darkly.

"Sorry?"

"Oh you will be if you keep talking."

Potter gave her an uncertain look before returning to the book in front of him.

It gave Sia a little relief to see her friends struggling almost as much as her. Rowena looked like she had just seen Snape's underwear and Bedelia looked like she had just smelt it. Clearly Pettigrew and Black were getting under their skins. Andrew had zero problems once again, as he chatted away with Lily, earning a number of doleful glares from Potter. Anna seemed to be intimidating poor Lupin with her excited chatter while Evelyn and Marlene didn't seem to have much difficulty working together.

…

"I cannot take this stupid arrangement!"

Sia jumped onto her bed and screamed into her pillow for a good 10 seconds.

"It's your fault to begin with."

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising an annoyed eyebrow at Rowena.

"You're the one that started this whole thing after you hexed Black after Potions that day."

Sia's mouth fell open in indignation.

"WHAT? I did not! He started it! I just did what I had to to salvage my wounded pride."

"Nuh uh. You could've let it go. Ro's right. You should be the last one complaining about the current situation," murmured Bedelia from behind the book she was reading.

"I cannot believe you guys," huffed Sia, pulling the covers over her head.

"Come on you guys. It's not all her fault. Maybe reacting in that way wasn't the best, but she had no control over how the rest of the students would react," said Anna, trying to broker peace.

Sia peeked out from under the covers, frowning at her friends.

"Fine, drama queen. It wasn't ALL your fault. Happy? Now come out," said Rowena, rolling her eyes.

"Very," grinned Sia, jumping up from underneath her covers.

"Better maintain that attitude. We have two more partners to be assigned. Who knows whom we'll end up with," said Bedelia, wisely while everyone else groaned.

…

"Umm, I'm really sorry about what happened to your hair."

Sia eyed Lupin coolly before tilting her head to one side.

"Why?"

"Because it was a stupid prank and it wasn't even meant for you. To be honest, it shouldn't have been meant for anyone, but what can you do," he sighed, shrugging.

"Why are you apologizing? You weren't even there that day," she asked, still suspicious.

"Well, we are a group after all and even though I wasn't part of this particular incident, I feel responsible for not stopping my friends."

He sounded sincere and Sia sighed. She had never disliked Lupin. He wasn't annoying or obnoxious. It was weird that he hung out with Black and Potter.

"Okay."

She heard Lupin sigh, before turning to his notes. They were learning the theoretical difficulties behind a Stunning Spell. So far, Prof. Hornswaggle had been busily writing on the board and was oblivious to Black and Potter's antics which were clearly unnerving Andrew and Anna.

They were passing notes to each other and Potter even managed to sneak a few to Lily, much to her and Bedelia's chagrin. He was sniggering at Black, his round glasses shining on the bridge of his nose as he kept throwing smirks at Lily.

Soon it was time to move on to the practical side of the lesson. Sia felt relieved to be able to distract herself from the idiotic Gryffindors surrounding her friends with their pathetic behavior. Lupin wasn't too bad and she felt like she would at least be able to tolerate his presence in class.

"Now, you will all be practicing the Stunning Spell with your assigned partners. Swap, after a few go's. You have half an hour to practice. Chop chop!"

Lupin aimed his wand at her and spoke the incantation. Sia immediately erected a shield in front of her and the spell bounced off it. Her partner frowned slightly, and tried again. She was able to deflect it once more. Her irritation was mounting as she saw Black from the corner of her eye. He and Andrew were engaged in a pretty intense practice. What annoyed her was Black's casual attitude. He seemed to be performing all his spells with a lazy flick of his wand while Andrew's actions looked much more concentrated and difficult.

"Shall we switch?" She heard Lupin say after managing to penetrate the shield twice.

"Alright." Just as she turned away from Black and Andrew, she saw her friend get hit by a perfect Stunning Spell.

Hornswaggle waddled up to them, beaming with pleasure.

"Excellent work, Mr. Black! That's the best Stunning Spell today! 10 points to Gryffindor," he said, while Black smirked at Potter. "Oh and _Ennervate_."

Andrew picked himself up from the ground, not looking too pleased with the situation. Nonetheless, he grunted a congratulations towards Black.

This little incident seemed to affect Sia poorly. Her efforts at stunning Lupin were quite paltry. The shields that he put up were getting stronger and stronger, while she felt her irritation mount.

"I think you're flicking your wand at the wrong moment. Try it again, I think it'll work better this time," Lupin said cautiously.

"Forget it, Moony. There isn't anything you can do to help here. They just don't make 'em as smart as they used to in Ravenclaw. Such a shame. Not even a nerd."

Sia's temper flared as she recognized Black's arrogant drawl. Forgetting all about the inter House bonding project, she aimed her wand at him and said the first thing that came to her mind.

" _Everte Statum!_ "

Black was ready this time and lazily, deflected the spell.

'You won't catch me off guard again, Adams," he said, his grey eyes darkening.

" _Levicorpus!"_ He brandished his wand in her direction, but she quickly put up a shield.

"You're far too arrogant, Black," she spat.

"That may be true, but I'm still going to have you hanging upside down in humilia-"

" _Expelliarmus!_ " She yelled, before he could complete his sentence. Hornswaggle had started to move towards their place at the back of the class by this time.

" _Stupefy!"_ Black fell with alarming grace, as Sia blew away a strand of her from the front of her face.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here? Miss Adams? Weren't you working with Mr. Lupin? And is that- " he paused to look at Black's stunned body on the floor.

" _Ennervate_."

Black immediately jumped to his feet, a nasty glow in his eyes. Lupin signaled to Potter, and they both held him back before any further damage occurred.

"Give me back my wand," he muttered darkly.

Sia chucked his wand back at him, but not before throwing him a dirty look.

"I am honestly astounded with your behavior. I thought you two would know better than recommence this silly rivalry between the Houses. Detention on Friday night. Both of you." He added, giving both Sia and Black meaningful glances.

"But sir, I have Quidditch practice on Friday!"

"I'm afraid that cannot be helped. Perhaps you should consider these things before getting into a fight with Mr. Black, Miss Adams."

The bell rang just at that moment, and Lupin and Potter quickly shoved Black out of the room, with Pettigrew following hurriedly.

Sia frowned and packed her bag, motioning to her friends to wait for her outside. As she was leaving, Hornswaggle gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Miss Adams. I heard what Mr. Black said. However, I cannot excuse your actions even though you were provoked. However," he paused, amking sure that there wasn't anyone else listening, "That was a rather fantastic Stunning Spell. Perhaps try it on Mr. Lupin during actual practice next time." He finished with a chuckle.

…

"Sia, for Merlin's sake, keep it in your pocket."

She groaned as Bedelia continued to lecture her on the stupidity of 'whipping out her wand unnecessarily'. The journey to the dungeons after lunch was uncharacteristically gloomy as everyone was worried about what would happen in another class with Sia and Black in it together.

"Good afternoon class!" Slughorn beamed at everyone, though he didn't get quite a similar response.

"Right. Now your partners are written on the board, so have a look and then off you go. We shall be attempting to brew the Draught of Peace today."

"Fuck." Bedelia and Rowena exchanged worried glances as Sia made her way to the board to see who her partner was.

"You're joking," she said to no one in particular.

"Sia, please don't do anything stupid. You already have one detention," hissed Bedelia, making sure that no one else heard.

"And you're missing Quidditch," piped up Evelyn.

"Easy for you to say. You've got Lupin," Sia glared at her teammate.

"Just behave." Evelyn said before walking off to her desk.

"I will if he does," muttered Sia darkly, as she saw Black read through the list. She saw his shoulders become tense for a flicker of a moment before he shot her a glare.

"Padfoot, mate, don't do anything stupid. Please. I don't need to missing any practices this season." Sia heard Potter whispering into Black's ear as they approached her table. Potter had been paired with Andrew and they were both sitting behind her and Black.

The universe hated her. That was all she could conclude from today's events. Why else would she be partnered with Sirius Black for Potions?!

Her entire body was rigid as he sat down beside her. It was taking an intense amount of self-control on her part to not punch him in the nose. Everything about him wreaked arrogance and that was one thing she hated more than anything else.

The first fifteen minutes of the lesson passed without incident. Sia and Black had both refrained from opening their mouths, though the tension in the air was so thick it was almost comparable to Goyle's neck.

Sia was having difficulty focusing because of the awkward length of her hair. It wasn't long enough to be tied nor was it short enough so that it wouldn't fall into her eyes. She kept huffing and trying to tuck it behind her ears but the errant strands were proving to be a huge nuisance.

She heard Black snort as she attempted to add porcupine quills into the cauldron with one hand and continuously shove away her hair with the other. Irritation surged through her and she turned her head towards him.

"Something funny, Black?" she snapped.

"Not at all. But I stand by what I said earlier. The new look isn't working for you Adams."

"For your information, I didn't willingly do this to my hair," she hissed at him, making sure that Slughorn couldn't see.

"Whatever. Not everyone can carry off whatever hairstyle comes their way," he drawled arrogantly, giving his longish hair a shake.

"Please. Don't make me laugh. You couldn't pull off any look other than a drugged hippie," she scoffed.

"At least I can keep my hair in place."

"You're hair only stays in place because it's lifeless and dull. Just like you!" She shot at him angrily. She knew that this was a very idiotic thing to say, but she had never been good at comebacks.

"I think the entire Hogwarts population would beg to differ, Adams," he said coolly, but Sia could see that she had hit a nerve.

By this time, Slughorn had moved over to their table.

"I hope everything is quite alright. Mr. Black? Miss Adams?" he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"Of course, Professor. I was just having a chat with Adams. She was asking me for hair care advice," replied Black smoothly.

Sia bristled as a few people in the class sniggered at this statement.

"I see, er,"

"She's having a lot of trouble adjusting to this new and confusing stage in her experimental hair phase," Black added.

"Yes, Professor. I am. Perhaps, _Black_ wouldn't mind telling you exactly how I came to make this curious hairstyle choice," she said, all the while glaring at the boy next to her.

"It was probably related to getting over a terrible break up. Or perhaps, an unwanted interference," countered Black, his gaze never leaving Sia's.

"Maybe, it was the result of some pathetic idiot who hasn't matured even a little since first year!"

"Right… I'm sure this is all extremely important but this isn't the ideal atmosphere for brewing the Draught of _Peace_ ," said Slughorn, emphasizing the last word.

He walked away after Sia and Black and turned their murderous looks away from each other.

In another ten minutes, Slughorn was happily announcing that Lily and Rowena's potion had successfully achieved the correct shade of blue.

"Well done! 5 points to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Now this is the kind of team work Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were hoping to inspire! Right, the rest of your potions should be a bluish color by now. Or if you were a little slow, then white."

Sia glanced at their potion and noticed, to her horror, that it was a bubbling viscous red. Black seemed to have noticed the anomaly as well and glared at her.

"What did you do?" he hissed.

"It wasn't my fault. You must have added something wrong!"

"I didn't. You probably read the instructions wrong with your stupid hair messing everything up!"

"My stupid hair wouldn't be messing things up if you hadn't aimed that blasted hex at me!"

"It's your fault for not watching where you're going!"

"MY fault?! I di-"

Right on cue, their potion exploded, coating the entire middle row in thick red sludge.

Slughorn sighed as a few girls squealed in disgust. Potter was snickering at Black's disheveled state, while Lupin buried his hands in his face. Rowena and Bedelia were throwing stern glances towards Sia but she was busy glaring at Black.

"Both of you please stay back to clean up this mess. And 10 points from both Houses."

…

* * *

 **Gah! What is going on? Why are they so annoying? *rolls eyes***

 **Shout** **out to anyone who got the FRIENDS reference in this chapter ;)**

 **Read and review! Cheers!**


	3. Inter-House Yada Yada Yada

**A/N Helloooooooooooo. How've you been? Long time no see. *ducks rotten eggs being thrown* Chapter 3 is here. And I don't know what it is XD Anyway. I'd love a review at some point of time. At least tell me if you guys hate it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Gah!"

Sia hated Herbology with a vengeance. Why in the world would people willingly try to wrestle with squirming, and often dangerous, plants? Sure, they had restorative properties, or were in some way beneficial to the wizarding world. But was that a good enough reason to make teenagers squeeze out pus or attempt to avoid life-threatening stings? Apparently, it was.

"GAH!"

"Sia, we are going to lose points at this rate! Shut up!"

Sia huffed in annoyance and glared at Bedelia. Horrid woman. Oh look at me! Look how fondly I tend to these near-fatal plants with tender care and immense patience!

"Sia?"

She turned her head to see Dorcas Meadows grinning at her. Dorcas was in Hufflepuff and one of the nicest girls Sia knew. She was also extremely beautiful. And as a true Hufflepuff, had a particular affinity for Herbology.

"You're holding it the wrong way." She smiled and showed her how to properly finish the assignment.

"Thanks so much, Dorcas. I knew I could trust my _real_ friends to help me out," she said, glaring pointedly at Bedelia.

Bedelia just rolled her eyes and continued working with Rowena.

Sia had met Dorcas in their third year. When a particularly nasty bucket of Bubotuber Pus had threatened to spill on top of her, the beautiful blonde Hufflepuff had gracefully muttered a spell and saved her, winning the rather odd friendship of a very enthusiastically grateful Ravenclaw.

"So, how's fifth year treating you?" she asked, her bluish green eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

"Lousy," muttered Sia, "I've already got a detention."

"I heard. Didn't know you and Black had a thing going on."

"I had nothing to do with it. I was unfortunate enough to end up a victim of one of his mindless pranks. I can't be blamed for retaliation," she huffed.

Dorcas snorted. "Yeah. There is a long list of people who have ended up being a victim of Black's pranks."

"This is why I love you Dorcas," sighed Sia.

Dorcas snorted again but refrained from any further comment as Prof. Sprout began making her way around the class.

…

Ravenclaws were known to be analytic and extremely smart. However, the downside was that fifth and seventh years tended to panic rather a great deal about impending exams. Which was why an annoyed Sia found herself in the library with Evelyn, Lily, Lupin and Andrew every Thursday evening, revising their weeks work.

As stated before, Sia didn't dislike Lupin. He was quiet and not a little bit obnoxious. But as she spent more Thursdays with him, she began to grow rather fond of this skinny, tired-looking Gryffindor with humor so dry that it would remain unaffected by London's weather. At first sight, he appeared to be reserved and shy, but underneath all that was such devious humor and quiet sarcasm, that Sia had initially wondered if she had imagined it all. He and Andrew got on like a house on fire, trading witty remarks and casual statements dripping with sarcasm.

These library sessions turned out to be quite enlightening due to two reasons in particular. The first was the unexpected giggle fits of Lily Evans. Most people would assume that the Gryffindor prefect, and all around perfect witch, would be composed and gracefully poised at any given moment of the day. However, these people would be devastatingly wrong. Lily Evans could be reduced to a wriggling ball of guffaws almost as quickly as Snape's hair accumulated grease after a rare shampoo session. Andrew and Lupin took particular advantage of this, nonchalantly dropping puns and innuendos whenever and wherever possible. The red-haired girl also had the rather unfortunate talent for remembering said-innuendos at the most unwanted moments.

The second, and much more amusing thing, was the curious behavior of Evelyn Diggle. After some extremely confused moments of awkward observation, Sia was able to confidently conclude that her friend had a crush on the rather adorable Mr. Lupin.

"Eve?"

The slightly built girl turned towards her with a questioning look while walking back to the Ravenclaw Tower.

"Remus is rather dashing, isn't he?"

Evelyn was famous for not giving away anything through her expressions and she stood true to that reputation.

"Perhaps. Never really thought about it."

"I think he's absolutely smashing. Rather dreamy, in fact," Sia continued, trying to make her voice love-struck and floaty.

"Alright… Maybe you should ask him out to the first Hogsmeade weekend," she mused after a little bit of consideration.

"I think I will. Thanks ever so much, Eve! You're the best!" Sia finished and skipped off, aware that her friend's face had fallen slightly.

Once she had entered the Great Hall, Sia found that her friends had scattered to various tables. Anna was chatting with Marlene at the Gryffindor table and Rowena, strangely, was talking to Pettigrew animatedly, which was making him visibly uncomfortable. Bedelia was not at any table and Sia guessed she was still in the library, studying. So, seeing as she had to choose between the Gryffindor table of Black and his admirers or the lonely Ravenclaw table bereft of her traitorous friends. Strangely, life sometimes gives us a third option – taking away the troublesome rigidity of binaries and black and white.

"Sia! Stop overanalyzing and sit with us!"

Sia grinned at Dorcas and walked over to the Hufflepuff table. She wasn't a particularly social person and Dorcas was the complete opposite. Which meant that sitting with her ensured that all conversation was steered away from her. Something which she was grateful for.

"Adams, ready for our first match?"

Sia looked up from her food to meet the brown eyes of the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain, Julian Grey. He was in his final year, having captained his House team for the last three years. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes with his wavy brown hair and disarmingly boyish smile.

"Absolutely. You're going down Grey," she said, raising her eyebrow challengingly.

He just laughed and shot her an amused look.

"Looking forward to it," he replied, before turning back to his friends.

"Sia?"

"Yes, Dorcas?"

"Do you realize what just happened?"

Obviously she didn't, because otherwise she wouldn't be in the middle of snogging a cream puff.

"Obviously she didn't, otherwise she wouldn't be in the middle of snogging a cream puff."

Sia whipped her head around at the familiar obnoxious voice.

"What do you want, Black? It's bad enough that I have to see you at close proximity at Potions every day," Sia snapped.

"Must be hell." He tone was as disinterested as always. "Imagine what I'm going through, having to sit next to _you_."

"You little-"

"As flattered as I am that you think I would leave my friends and some fantastic food to come and engage in an utterly pointless argument with you, I'm actually here for another reason."

Sia frowned, gritting her teeth while she decided which insult to respond to first.

"Meadows, can I have a word?" He drawled in the same way, looking rather pointedly at Dorcas.

"Sure," she said and followed him out, shrugging in response to Sia's confused expression.

…

There weren't many people in the Ravenclaw Common Room when Sia got in after practice. Just a couple of seventh years, and Evelyn and Anna.

Even though she was extremely tired after playing for two straight hours, she flopped down on one of the armchairs next to Evelyn. She appeared to be doing her Charms essay while Anna was busily scrawling over her Herbology notes. Evelyn had opted out of practice because she wasn't feeling too well and even though Madam Pomfrey's Pepper Up potion seemed to have helped her, she still looked rather pale and worried.

"What's up, Eve?"

"Er… nothing."

"You sure about that?"

"Y-yeah."

"Cool. I'm off to bed. See you in the morning."

With that, Sia walked off towards the girls' dormitories. Just as she was about to go out of earshot, she heard her friend speak.

"Actually, I needed to talk to you about something."

Her eyes were uncertain and she looked like she was battling with herself to get these words out of her mouth.

Sia glanced at Anna, who immediately got the hint and excused herself up to their dorm.

"So, what's really up?"

"You know what we were talking about a few days ago?"

Sia suppressed a wide grin. She knew that if she tried teasing her at this point, Evelyn would shut up completely. So, she decided to be completely upfront about the matter.

"You mean Remus?"

"Uh, yeah. Actually…"

She was fidgeting a lot by this time. Sia knew what was going through her mind. Evelyn always stuck up for everyone, friend or not. And to be in a situation where she was having to choose between her friend's happiness and her own was probably the worst thing imaginable. Evelyn Universe functioned on immaculate consideration and consistent sensitivity. And both were being attacked right now.

"I don't like Remus."

"Huh?" Evelyn's eyes grew wide, not knowing how to react to this statement.

"As in, I don't fancy him. I was trying to get you to speak up about your own feelings. I don't actually want to ask him out to Hogsmeade."

"Oh."

"Eve, I can see that you fancy the pants off him. And if _I_ can see it, then it's bloody obvious at the moment."

Evelyn blushed and her bangs covered her eyes quickly.

"But I think he likes you too. And he's so unbelievably shy himself. Make a move, or else nothing is going to happen."

"Thanks, Sia. I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that. I was so worried about telling you how I felt about him. Especially after I heartily encouraged you to ask him out. Thanks for understanding," she finished softly.

"Merlin! Why must you be like this? We've been friends for four years now and we've been on the team for three. You don't have to be so formal and polite. You can tell me off for behaving like an arse. And you are definitely allowed to not be at your perfect best all the time. Relax," Sia told her sincerely.

Evelyn smiled and nodded her head shyly.

"Now please spill about Remus. I've been dying to tease you about him!"

…

October was slowly coming to an end, which meant that the first Hogsmeade weekend was right around the corner. Everyone was getting quite excited, especially the stressed out OWL and NEWT students.

"Anna, what are you getting Eve for her birthday?"

The curly haired blonde twisted on her bed to look at her friend. She was the only one other than Sia, who was close to Evelyn. Even though they were all in the same year and House, Evelyn preferred to hang out with her friends from other Houses.

"I can't decide. I don't want to get her anything Quidditch related. It's her sixteenth for crying out loud! It needs to be something special!"

"Relax, crazy!" laughed Sia. "I found something really cool in one of the catalogues. It's a bit steep, so maybe we could both pitch in and get it for her."

"Ooh. Sounds perfect! What is it? Can we get it at Hogsmeade?"

"Yup. And you'll just have to wait and see for yourself," she grinned, winking at her friend.

"What? I have to wait an entire day?!"

"No. Less than that. It is now Friday afternoon. And we will go there on Saturday morning."

"Ugh! WHAT will I do till then? Beedz and Rowena are off at the Gobstones meeting. They won't be back till dinner!"

"Hey! What am I? A Flobberworm?" replied Sia indignantly.

"Don't _you_ have detention in twenty minutes?"

"Fuck."

…

* * *

 **Short-ish chapter. I have more stuff planned. You know with detention along with *ahem* Mr. Black. Also the Hogsmeade trip will be interesting. So stay tuned.**

 **Read and Review!**

 **Cheers!**


	4. A Marauder A Day Keeps The Peace Away

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. I'm actually planning on completing the story and then uploading chapters. It would be nicer for all of you who are reading, to know that the story won't go unfinished. So I might not post regularly for a bit as I'll be working on finishing the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"You honestly had to screw this up."

"Well, it's not my fault Sluggers decided to hand me a detention on this particular day."

"Merlin, Padfoot! It's a full moon tonight! We were supposed to be trying out the Transfiguration with Moony!"

"I remember, Prongs. I'm not daft."

Peter sighed and looked on as his two best friends bickered away. They had finally managed to perfect their Transfiguration and were ready to try out their Animagi forms alongside Remus. But Sirius's detention was causing a bit of a dent in their well-planned schedule.

"Why don't we just sneak Padfoot out of detention?" he asked, unsurely.

"Brilliant idea, Wormtail. Wonder why I hadn't thought of that before? Oh, that's right! Because I'll be serving detention with fucking Adams!"

"Hold on. That's not a half bad idea. We'll bust you out in time for the plan. That way, you'll have been in detention but won't miss Moony's transformation!" cried James, ecstatically.

"Bloody fantastic plan but there's just one tiny problem," said Sirius, raising an eyebrow casually. "What will you do about Adams?"

"What do you mean, what will I do?"

"She's a bloody Prefect! She'll rat us out to Slughorn and not to mention, how the fuck are we supposed to explain my absence at the end of detention to Slughorn?"

"Right. Er, I hadn't thought of that," muttered James, scratching the back of his head.

All through classes the entire day, James and Peter kept whispering to Sirius in elation and then deflating quickly as he whispered something back.

"Dungbombs?"

"No."

"Bubotuber Pus-"

"Give it a rest, Prongs!"

"Fine." James huffed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Sirius was annoyed as it was. He didn't like having let his friends down like this, and on top of that, his detention couldn't have been with a worse person.

At lunch, Remus noticed his friend glaring at a particular head sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Now, it was nothing unusual for Sirius, as his hatred for Artemisia Adams was well known. However, he felt like there was something different about today's death glare.

"What's up, Padfoot?" he asked, nudging his friend to get his attention.

"Stupid wench," he muttered, not taking his eyes off Sia.

"What's wrong now? Did you two get into a fight again? Honestly, Padfoot, she isn't that bad."

"Easy for you to say. I have fucking detention with her tonight. Bloody annoying Ravenclaw. Ruining everything," he continued muttering.

"I really don't get why she bothers you so much. I mean you did initiate the feud in a way."

Before Sirius could reply, James came bounding through the hall with a huge grin on his face.

"Padfoot! Come with me! I need to show you something!" he said, panting slightly.

Remus eyed him suspiciously. James' excitement usually revolved around Quidditch, pranks and arguments with Lily. And since he could see that the red head was happily chatting at another part of the table, he could only assume what was making his friend so giddy.

"Prongs-" he started, with a warning tone.

"Quidditch stuff, Moony. We'll be back in a bit." James then dragged a very unwilling Sirius out of the hall.

Sirius had to admit that the plan was quite impressive. Hornswaggle had given them detention in the dungeons, reorganizing the potions cupboard. There was also a complicated potion brewing in the east corner, which Slughorn intended on showing the sixth years. James had decided that the best way was to tamper with it in such a way that it let out an extremely foul smell before exploding. They were banking on Sirius to charm Slughorn into letting them off early.

"You'll be in there half an hour tops. Don't fuck things up, Padfoot," James warned, when he and Peter had returned from tampering the potion.

Avoiding Remus's suspicious eyes, Sirius casually walked off to the dungeons. He wasn't surprised to see his partner already present there. Slughorn merely repeated what Hornswaggle had already told them, took their wands and went back to his office.

 _Let the torture begin._

 _…_

"Move your arse, Black."

"Do you need a better view of it?"

Sia rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. Twenty minutes into detention and Black hadn't done any work. He seemed more intent on sniffing the air.

"Are you a dog?"

This seemed to startle him a bit and he frowned uncertainly.

"What? Why would you ask that?"

"Because you've been constantly sniffing the air…?" she finished slowly, not sure why that comment had flustered him so much.

"Oh. Umm, don't you smell anything weird?" He seemed to be more hopeful than curious.

"No? Why would- " she stopped midway as a very strange smell hit her nostrils.

"What did you do?" she asked, glaring at him immediately.

"Me?! I've been sitting here right in front of you!" he cried out indignantly.

Sia crossed her arms, not able to find any argument against that statement. However, the smell was getting stronger and fouler by the minute. It didn't take her long to realize where it was coming from. The potion, which had, just a few minutes ago, been a serene mint green, was now a thick, bubbling, angry red.

"That can't be good," she said, biting her lip, unbeknownst to the smirk growing on Black's face.

The potion gave a giant gurgle and pop, convincing Sia that this definitely wasn't a place for them to be.

"Professor! There's something wrong with the potion in the dungeons!"

After a lot of panicking and accidently on purpose dropping a large cauldron of a very harmless potion on Black, Slughorn excused them from detention. It appeared that he valued his students' lives more than any disciplinary practice.

"Padfoot!"

Sia whipped around at the strange noise which sounded a lot like Potter's voice. But there wasn't anybody in sight.

"Padfoot!"

There it was again, a little louder this time. Sia knew it was Potter and she vaguely remembered him calling Black by that name a few times. She could just make out his figure rounding the corner and she made a sprint to follow but by the time she reached, there was no one in the corridor.

 _Bloody Marauders._

…

Hogsmeade was bustling with excited students. Sia yawned lightly as she, Rowena, Anna and Bedelia made their way to Honeydukes for their month's supply of chocolate.

No matter what happened, they always agreed on chocolate. It was a go-to fix for anything. Salted caramel, nougat, peppermint, honey nut, marshmallow, and a few dozen others. They normally spent their money solely at Honeydukes. But this time, Anna and Sia needed to buy something for Evelyn's birthday. Rowena and Bedelia went off to The Three Broomsticks to meet Andrew, and Anna and Sia said they'd meet them there once they were done.

"So what great present have you thought of?" asked Anna, curiously. She had been dying to find out ever since Sia had mentioned it the day before.

"Hold your Hippogriffs. First, we're going into Scrivenshaft's. They've got a very beautiful, limited edition quill which Eve will just love."

Anna made a face. Scrivenshaft's was definitely not what she was expecting.

The quill in question was a lovely gold and blue plume, with a finely crafted nib. It had been charmed to write in any language the user wished. You only needed to think about what you wanted to write and then think of the language, the quill would simply move your hand accordingly.

It cost a whopping 20 Galleons.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was steep," grumbled Anna, still feeling let down about the surprise gift.

"We aren't done yet," Sia giggled, as they walked past The Hog's Head. She saw Potter leaving it, glancing around him cautiously, before stuffing a rather odd looking package into his cloak. Strange.

"Wizarding Wireless Network Headquarters?" asked Anna in confusion. "Why are we here?"

"I told you last year that my cousin works at their Diagon Alley branch, right?" Anna nodded, waiting for her to continue. "So, because I have access to top secret information, I know that the Weird Sisters are currently behind these doors, having an exclusive meet-n-greet with a few fans. And I," Sia took out a rolled parchment from her pocket, "Have passes for us."

Anna's mouth dropped open in shock. The Weird Sisters were their favorite band and to be able to meet them was a dream come true. She immediately launched herself on Sia, crushing her in a hug.

"Iloveyoudamnit!"

…

An hour later, Anna and Sia walked to the Three Broomsticks, laden with autographs and a special present for Evelyn. On mentioning that their friend's birthday was coming up, the band, slightly inebriated due to the large amount of Firewhiskey at the table, had promptly recorded Evelyn's favorite song with a special birthday message from the lead singer. They had taken the record with identical grins on their faces.

"We are such amazing friends," Anna sighed.

"We are," said Sia, sitting at their table with a couple of Butterbeers.

Andrew, Rowena and Bedelia weren't very keen on the Weird Sisters. They much preferred Callista Jordan's jazz. Anna helped herself to Crucio Chocolate Cake, while Sia leaned across the table, trying not to be overheard.

"Andrew, what kind of shady deals go on at The Hog's Head?"

Andrew finished chewing his Berry Bacon sandwich and sighed.

"What have you done this time, Sia?"

"Me?! I haven't done anything! Why is that the first thing you assume?" Sia gasped indignantly.

"Oh come on, Andrew. I'm sure she hasn't accidentally purchased illegal Dungbomb Fireworks again," chipped in Rowena, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Hey! That was in third year! And they looked like jelly bean chocolates," grumbled Sia.

"And do jelly bean chocolates smell like dung?" asked Rowena, eliciting a snort from Andrew.

"I hate you guys," huffed Sia, leaning back into her chair again.

"Drama queen," giggled Rowena, before taking a swig of Butterbeer.

"What were you saying?" asked Andrew, nudging Sia with his fork.

"Gah! You got chocolate on my sleeve, Andrew!" hissed Sia. "Not that I should tell you guys, but I saw Potter leaving there with a furtive expression. He also had a really odd package on him."

"An odd package? Well, knowing Potter it was probably some sort of nefarious pranking device," shrugged Andrew.

"I suppose."

…

"Great practice everyone! Knightley, get yourself to the Hospital Wing right now!"

Andrew leaned against Sia and one of the Chasers, Liam- a burly third year. His ankle was definitely broken, having taken a rather nasty fall from his broom towards the end of practice. Once Madam Pomfrey had reprimanded them sufficiently for being exceptionally foolhardy Quidditch players, Sia and Liam left Andrew there for the night.

"Oh, I see," said Alice, after Sia had informed her that Andrew wouldn't be able to patrol for a couple of nights. "Will you be fine on your own? Or should I get one of the sixth years to patrol with you?"

"No, that's not necessary. I can manage on my own."

And that's how she found herself walking down the third floor corridor, stifling a yawn and wishing she were in bed. Quidditch practice was getting intense, as their first match against Hufflepuff was only a week away. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match had been a cracker, with Gryffindor winning by the slimmest of margins. She pursed her lips as she thought about how good the Gryffindors were. They had been able to handle Slytherin's dirty tactics easily. She knew that they'd be in for a tough fight, being the only team which had girls playing. Sexist, hormonal boys were really the worst opponents at this point.

She heard a rustling noise, followed by a couple of voices. Gripping her wand tightly, she turned the corner to find Potter with the strange package in his hand, muttering away to thin air.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sharply.

He jumped at her voice and quickly hid the package in his robes. His hair was as untidy as ever and there was a frown on his generally cheerful face.

"Well, well, well. Students out of bed. How are we going to deal with this, my sweet?" came a sickeningly sweet, raspy voice.

Both fifth years didn't need to turn around to realize that Filch was standing there, along with his dearest Mrs. Norris.

"I'm a Prefect, Mr. Filch. And Potter was late leaving the library, so I decided to escort him back to his common room so he didn't get into trouble," Sia said confidently, pointing to her badge and watching the gnarled smile slip from Filch's face.

"I'll get you next time. Mark my words," he muttered while walking away.

Potter looked stunned to say the least. Sia bit back a laugh at the ridiculous expression on his face. She had never seen his overconfidence drop like this.

"Whatever you were doing, stop it. And get back to your common room. Filch won't be taking it easy any time soon."

Potter nodded his head slowly, having finally grasped the edges of his fleeing brain cells. He sped off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room but not before turning around and flashing Sia a brilliant grin.

"Thanks, Adams! You're alright."

…

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 **Hope you liked it! Please review. It would be really helpful to get some feedback on this story.**


	5. Boys Suck

**A/N Double chapter because I love you guys (if there is anybody there, that is) I haven't proof read any of this so forgive the typos.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Alright everyone! It's our first match of the season. We need to decimate Hufflepuff! The Gryffindors and Slytherins think they've got everything in the bag but we'll prove them wrong! Hufflepuff have a weak offense and their Seeker is shite. So it shouldn't be too tough for you, Diggle and Adams. Now, Chadwick, Jordan – the three of us need to be at the top of our game today. Grey is a fantastic Keeper and we need to win by a large margin in order to be in the running for the Cup. As for Knightley and Davies, make sure the Hufflepuff Beaters don't get a whiff of any of our players. Let's show 'em what we've got!"

Nigel's fiery speech was followed by a very pumped up Ravenclaw team leaving the locker room. Sia had managed to keep her hair out of the way courtesy a very handy spell Lily had taught her.

As they flew out onto the pitch, Sia felt the familiar rush of excitement and anticipation which she adored. It was good weather and she felt relaxed and confident for the match.

They had a new referee and Games Mistress this year. Madam Hooch – a young woman who distinctly resembled a hawk. She had a brusque manner and no-nonsense attitude.

"Captains, shake hands."

Nigel and Julian Grey stepped forward and shook hands quickly. Nigel was all about the intense competition while Julian appeared cheerful and at ease.

The Quaffle was released and the three Chasers from each team made a scramble for it.

"Ravenclaw in possession! Captain Trent with the Quaffle – Dodges a Bludger, and another! There's no stopping him it would seem! Aims and – OH! Denied by his counterpart - Grey! If looks could kill, ladies and gentlemen, I assure you that the Hufflepuff Captain would be dead by now!"

Sia watched the match from a little above. Hufflepuff were better than they had anticipated. Their offence was not too shabby. Which meant that Evelyn was going to have a tough time.

She really needed to catch the Snitch.

And she did, not ten minutes later. They ultimately won the match quite easily.

"Well played, Adams."

Julian Grey entered the Dining Hall and made a beeline towards the Ravenclaw table. He sat down opposite Sia and her friends, a wide grin on his face.

"You really put the nail in the coffin that was our performance."

"Glad you aren't a sore loser, Grey," said Sia, her eyes twinkling.

"Julian," he said, a meaningful tone resonating in his voice.

Sia merely raised an eyebrow and looked away.

…

"You're an idiot."

"As much as I love that term of endearment, shut it," said Sia, rolling her eyes.

"Julian Grey fancies you for sure!"

"He does not, Ro. Since when did you become such an expert?"

"Since Beedz, Anna and I have been watching him watch you carefully."

"He watches me? That is so creepy!"

"True. But it is a form of expressing the fact that he fancies you," said Evelyn, sitting with the four of them.

"Not you too, Eve," groaned Sia.

"I'm just saying that this isn't completely baseless. Not really asking you to jump him. Unless you want to," she added as an afterthought.

"This is horrible!"

"Why exactly? He's quite fit," enquired Anna.

"But he's a BOY!"

"Er, didn't know you weren't into blokes, Sia."

"Shut UP, Ro! I mean, it's just a little disgusting thinking about dating someone," she said, her eyebrows scrunched together, "I'd have to like, touch him and stuff. Oh Merlin! What if he wants to snog me?!"

"I'm sure that thought has NEVER crossed his mind," snorted Beedz.

"I WILL hex him if he tries to talk to me again!" declared Sia, standing up on the bed.

"You will do no such thing. Just get to know him, Sia. And if he does ask you out on a date, which we don't know about at this point, you can go and see if you like it and him. Don't dismiss it so quickly," said Eve.

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, love," said Rowena in a sing-song voice, earning a cushion to her head.

…

"Remus?"

The sandy haired boy looked up with a blank expression.

"OI!" Sia screamed, poking him in the ribs.

He seemed to finally notice her and rubbed his side irritably.

"What?"

"Where were you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion. "I've been in the library for the past three hours."

"No, I mean, your body is definitely here. But your mind is absolutely not. What were you spacing out about?"

He mumbled something incoherently, and Sia nudged him again.

"Ow! Okay, okay! I don't know what to do about tomorrow," he said, looking downcast.

"Tomorrow…?"

"Come on, Sia! Don't make me spell it out! You already took the mickey out of me before!" he whined, face flushing a delightful pink.

Sia giggled. It was true. When she had noticed Remus sneaking glances at Eve after Ravenclaw's first victory, she had been merciless. The entire week had been torture for the poor boy, as Sia teased him relentlessy through Defense classes until he had buckled and told her that he fancied the petite Ravenclaw Keeper.

"Sorry, Remus. But it's so nice to see you blush. You are quite adorable," she said, pinching his cheeks.

Remus sighed, and smiled at her in a resigned way. He really liked Sia. She appeared cold and distant if you didn't know her, but once you became friends, she was quite crazy with her randomness.

"So you haven't got her anything for her birthday?"

"No. I don't really know what she'd like either. I mean, I won't be totally empty-handed because I bought a new book for her. But… But that isn't special. I want to give her a special present."

"Plus," he continued, running his fingers through his hair, "I'm helping Prongs organize Padfoot's birthday party. I need to mediate between him and Lily. I'm not getting much time to do anything else."

Sia scrunched up her nose at the mention of Black's nickname.

"When is this party?" she asked.

"Day after. Padfoot's birthday is one day after Evelyn's."

"The things I do for my friends," muttered Sia under her breath. "Remus, I think you should hold a joint birthday party. Start off tomorrow evening and then continue after midnight. That way, you can celebrate both birthdays."

Remus' eyes lit up at her words.

"That's actually a decent idea! I need to tell Prongs immediately. Thanks Si –," he paused abruptly, as if just realizing something. "Wait, are you okay with this? I mean, I know you don't get along with Sirius. So…"

"That's hardly a secret, Remus," laughed Sia a little bitterly. "But I'm not that selfish. I can put up with a joint party for my friend and Black for your sake."

Remus smiled at her warmly.

"Thanks, Sia. You're the best."

…

"Happy birthday, Eve!" Everyone screamed in unison as the birthday girl entered the Astronomy Tower.

She looked both mortified and ecstatic at the same time. Sia and Anna hugged her from either side, before Andrew and Nigel Trent came forward and lifted her onto their shoulders.

The blush on Eve's face intensified, but Sia could see that she was also very happy to get this surprise.

"Thank you, guys! You really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble. Especially after the smashing gifts you got me," she yelled over the music.

"That's why we didn't." Anna grinned at her.

"Huh?"

"Good old Remus organized this. It's his present to you," said Sia, her eyes twinkling.

"R-remus?" stuttered Eve, her face heating up.

"Yup," both her friends said together, popping the 'p' for emphasis.

"I-I should go thank him then."

"You should. Oh look! There he is!" said Sia, giving her friend a push towards the sandy haired boy.

Soon the two of them had engaged in slightly awkward and shy conversation.

"Sia!"

She turned around to see a tall, spectacled boy with unruly black hair, come towards her enthusiastically.

"It's 'Adams' to you, Potter."

"Aw come on! We're friends now!" he said, grinning at her good-naturedly.

"And when did this unfortunate incident occur?"

"When you decided to save my arse from Filch," he said, winking at her.

"Curse me and my helpful nature!" she said dramatically before shaking her head. Potter was still staring at her hopefully, his confidence replaced by uncertainty.

"Fine. I guess we are friends," she said begrudgingly.

"Fantastic! Let's get you some Firewhiskey!"

After a lengthy argument on why she should refer to him as 'James', they settled down near one of the windows, as Peter started setting up the food tables. Sia found out that James wasn't as annoying as she had come to believe. He was actually very sweet and caring; just terribly insensitive towards a lot of finer aspects in people's behavior. This was probably due to the fact that he was a late, only child to very wealthy parents. He definitely had flaws, but none which you couldn't either live with or try and change.

"Are you sure you should be here chatting with me? Black would blow a gasket if he saw us sitting together."

"Naw. Padfoot doesn't really hate you. You've just gotten off on the wrong foot. He's a pretty decent guy, actually," he said, tipping the last of the Firewhiskey in his glass.

"Right. And Snape wears lacy, pink thongs to bed," she snorted.

"Now that is one image I didn't need in my head," came a voice from behind them.

They turned around to see Remus and Eve, looking pleasantly buzzed. Sia grinned and motioned for them to sit down with her and James.

"Moony? Prongs? Where- "

Sirius Black was standing a few feet away, astonished at the sight before him. His two best friends were actually hanging out with that wretched Ravenclaw and her friend. He glared at them and shook his long hair out of his face.

"Right. I see that you two are clearly busy."

James and Remus had identical guilty looks on their faces as their best friend stomped off.

"Sorry, girls. But we should really go after him," said Remus, apologetically.

"No worries, Remus," said Sia, waving her hand unconcernedly. "It's a joint party after all. You guys should be with him."

The two boys shot her a grateful look before running off after their friend.

"Having fun, guys?" asked Bedelia, sitting down with them as Anna and Rowena followed.

"Yup. Though I'm getting pretty sleepy. Any idea how long this is going to go on?" asked Eve, stifling a yawn.

"A while. They'll be celebrating Black's birthday post midnight, so I reckon we can slip out now," said Sia, looking at her watch.

"Wouldn't that be rude?" Eve mumbled uncertainly.

"Why? I'm sure as hell not staying around for that tosser's birthday. Plus, you look really tired. There's no reason to stay."

There was no further argument as the Ravenclaws trooped out of the party, quietly making their way to the Tower without getting caught.

…

Sia was walking towards History of Magic with Dorcas and Rowena on Monday morning. She was trying to fight off the sleep that was threatening to take over any second while her friends argued about that evening's Duelling Club meeting.

"Snape will get hexed by either Potter or Black tonight. Just you watch, Dorcas," said Rowena, tying her hair into a ponytail.

"Please. Those two never attend meetings. What makes you so sure that they'll turn up today?"

"Because that's how they're serving detention for Filly."

"Ro, you need to stop calling Flitwick 'Filly'. People are getting the wrong impression," said Bedelia, running up to them.

"What took you so long?" asked Rowena, completely ignoring her remark.

"Sending a letter," she said, panting slightly.

"A letter? To whom? Didn't you just send one to your parents yesterday?" Rowena pressed on, encouraged by the stumped look on her friend's face.

"My parents aren't the only people I write to," she huffed, her cheeks reddening slightly. Sia wasn't sure whether she was blushing or it was because of an unusual sprint.

"Oh really? And who-"

"Anna! Let's sit right in front for Binns' class today. I want to take _proper_ notes," said Bedelia, dragging a startled Anna out of her seat and effectively cutting off Rowena's enquiry.

Rowena narrowed her eyes and sat with Sia near the back of the class, meaning that she wasn't going to let this subject drop any time soon. Just because her friend had momentarily escaped by sitting right in front of the hella boring professor who also happened to be a bloody ghost, didn't mean that she wasn't going to be cornered later on.

That was all the entertainment they got in the following two hours. Sia promptly fell asleep as soon as Binns started the lecture, with Rowena doodling on parchment and then on her friend.

As a result of this, Sia walked into the Great Hall during lunch with some very intricate inkwork on her hands and neck. Rowena was laughing uncontrollably despite the death glares being thrown at her by her best friend.

"Is that Julian Grey coming towards our table?" asked Anna curiously.

"It would seem so. Well spotted, Anna," commented Rowena, with a smirk.

"Why is that of any significance?" asked Andrew, bewildered.

"Because this would be the fifth time he's come over to speak to Sia in the last couple of days," said Bedelia, nonchalantly scooping up some mashed potato onto her plate.

"What's your point?" grumbled Sia, knowing exactly where this conversation was heading.

"Methinks the lady doth require some brains," said Anna, referencing her favorite Muggle playwright. "Because the gentleman doth approach too often."

Before Sia could reply, the Hufflepuff Captain had come up to their table and was looking at her with an easy smile.

"Alright, Adams?"

"Never better."

"Mind if I borrow your Seeker, Trent?" he asked the Ravenclaw captain, who was bewildered as to why he was suddenly dragged into a random conversation at another part of the table.

"Er, sure. Go ahead, Adams. Although I don't know why you need my permission," said Nigel, uncertainly.

"So," he began, once they had left the Great Hall.

"So…?"

"I was planning on going to the Arrows signing session during the next Hogsmeade trip. Do you, maybe, want to come along?" he asked, casually.

A lot of things were going through Sia's head at this point of time. Was Julian Grey asking her out? Why was Julian Grey asking her out? Why didn't she know about the Arrows signing session? Why should she go with when she could go with her friends? Why should she reject a cute senior? Why couldn't society let boys and girls be just friends and still go out together? Why did she not want to just be friends with Julian Grey? And most importantly, WHY HAD SHE NOT SPOKEN FOR THE LAST TEN MINUTES?

"Adams?"

"Umm, sorry. Zoned out for a bit. I didn't know about the Apples signing session," she said, steering the conversation towards a possible loophole.

"That's because I've got exclusive access," he said, with a wink.

Sia's heart fluttered a tiny bit, but a miniscule amount of bile also threatened to rise up her throat.

"I see. So, why aren't you taking any of your friends?"

"They've all got other engagements. Plus, I know you're pretty passionate about Quidditch. Couldn't think of anyone better outside my friend circle."

 _Smooth._ He wasn't trying to push the date angle.

"What time is it?" she asked, finally.

"Afternoon. We could grab a spot of lunch before that," he said quickly.

"No. I have plans with my friends as well. Can't just ditch them now, can I? I'll meet you in front of the Three Broomsticks at 2."

"Sure thing. See you later, Adams," he said brightly, before walking away.

…

"It is NOT a date!"

"It is absolutely a date. Stop kidding yourself, Sia. You just agreed to go on a date with Julian Gray after he tempted you with Quidditch," laughed Rowena.

"What's this? Someone asked Adams out on a date? Wait. It's Julian Gray. That explains it. He was hit by a Bludger during the last practice. Why else would he ask her out?" sneered Black.

The Duelling Club meeting was scheduled to start in a few minutes, and Rowena and Sia had been sitting near the window when Black had passed the ridiculous comment. Sia scowled, a little annoyed that James would let his best friend say these things to her. She was his friend as well. But then she realized that James' attention was at the other end of the room where Lily was talking to Snape.

"Sod off, Black," she snapped, before walking to another part of the room, with Rowena in tow.

The session turned out to be pretty exciting. The highlights of the night being Rowena performing the Bat Bogey Hex on Black, and Snape's hair turning blue courtesy James and his trousers being set on fire courtesy Black. Dorcas irritably handed a couple of Galleons to Rowena, who smirked at her and then linked arms with Sia as they headed off to their dorm.

…

* * *

 **That's it for now. I'll be back once I've finished the entire story. Please review! I'd love to know if anyone reads this.**


	6. Kisses, Near Misses

**A/N Again. This is not proofread. And thsnk you to my first two reviewers!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Hogsmeade turned out to be a rather interesting experience in the company of Julian Grey. Sia was finding it increasingly difficult to admit that she was indifferent to him. He was cute and quite a bit taller than her(which in itself was a feat because she was one of the tallest girls in school), and his pleasant attitude was easy to get used to. The Arrows signing was quite spectacular, and Sia breathlessly thanked Julian for inviting her. They were currently sitting at the Three Broomsticks, sipping butterbeer.

"So, how is OWL year going?" he asked, setting down his glass.

"Fantastic. I get to sit through Potions with Black four times a week," she said with a grimace.

He chuckled. "I see that you aren't part of the rather large fanclub dedicated to him."

"What makes you think that?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Random guess. It's a pleasant change to some of the girls in my House. Merlin knows seventh years lusting after him should be termed pedophilia!"

Sia snorted at this, earning a wink from Julian. He really was rather attractive. She wondered why he had suddenly shown an interest in her. She didn't have many friends outside the few Ravenclaws in her year, Lily, James and Remus in Gryffindor and Dorcas in Hufflepuff. Absolutely no boy had ever shown any inclination of anything other than bizarre wariness.

They walked back to the castle just as a light snow began to fall. Sia received knowing glances from all her friends, including Remus and, strangely, James as well. She attempted a grimace but ended half giggling in embarrassment.

"How was it?"

Four of the five beds in the dorm were empty, as Rowena, Bedelia and Anna squeezed themselves onto Sia's four poster. The fifth bed was empty because their other dorm mate – Keira - hadn't returned from Hogsmeade yet.

"Fine."

"Details!" they all shrieked together.

So Sia ended up spending a good two hours telling her friends about how she hadn't hated hanging out with Julian Grey, how he was actually quite funny, and how she may or may not have a crush on him now.

She was, however, slightly annoyed to see the self-satisfied smirks on their faces.

…

The Founders Ball was an annual event held just before the Christmas break. It was exclusively for the seventh years, and younger students only got to attend if a senior asked them out. There was, quite naturally, a huge buzz surrounding it. The Head Boy and Girl were currently dating, so they wouldn't be taking any underclassmen with them. Pretty much everyone had a date, and this meant that the young 'uns would have to wait their turn.

"Whatever. It's not like any of them would pick us. There's a whole batch between us. Blasted sixth years," grumbled Anna, clearly put out by the fact that she would have to wait a couple of years to find out how the grand event played out.

"Well, we don't know about that. I happen to know someone who will most definitely get asked out," said Rowena, making no attempt at any subtlety as she glanced at Sia a little too innocently.

"Sod off, Ro."

"Hey Sia! Mind if I borrow her for a bit, ladies?" came the pleasant voice and easy smile of Julian Grey.

"Right on cue," whispered Rowena to Bedelia.

Julian looked confused. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said, 'White on blue'. Beedz here is trying to figure out what colors to work with for her next knitting pattern," said Rowena, smiling rather too hard.

"Right. Sia?" he asked, not sure if he understood what was going on.

"I'll meet you guys at Charms," said Sia, standing up and pinching Rowena on her arm, before walking off.

"So what's up?" she asked, fidgeting slightly. She still wasn't used to having a slightly different-from-friendship relationship with someone.

"The Founders Ball is coming up."

"So I gather."

"Do you think you we could go together?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe," he said, with a cheeky grin.

"Why?"

"I may fancy you," he said, a slight challenge in his voice, as if daring her to reject him. But Sia was too thrilled with a sudden adrenaline rush to notice anything else.

"Well. I _may_ fancy you too," she replied almost as defiantly.

"So, it's a date then. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall at seven."

"I'll be there."

Was this a proposal for a date or a face-off?

…

"Padfoot? Are you seriously going for The Founders Ball?" asked Peter, incredulously.

"Ah, Wormtail. Always the tone of surprise," chuckled Sirius.

"How'd you do it?" he asked, still gaping at his friend getting dressed.

"Easy. Half the seventh years in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor have been drooling all over him since he broke up with Summer," said James, his arrogant confidence shining through.

"So which one of those lovely ladies will you be going with, Padfoot?" asked Remus.

"Florence Abernethy."

"Hot damn," Peter murmured, as the other three burst into laughter.

"Are you sure you don't want to try some of my lipstick?" asked Eve.

"Absolutely. I'm already reconsidering the eyeliner," mumbled Sia. She could not shake off the memory of Julian commenting on how she looked so much better without any makeup. As flattered as she had been, it made her a tad bit uncomfortable and she didn't know why.

"Alright. You look fab, Sia!" gushed Rowena, grinning madly.

"I'd take you out if I weren't so afraid of mucking up our tight friendship," commented Bedelia, nonchalantly, causing everyone else to giggle. They knew she was being serious. She had a strange way off handing compliments. Which is what made them even more special.

"Thanks, Beedz. You know I'd never refuse," said Sia, examining her peach dress with a hint of worry. All this dating nonsense was a bother! Honestly. Why did she have to put in any effort for someone else? Especially since it had to be the right amount of effort as well.

But all her annoyance was squashed when Julian grinned at her and held out his hand. He looked quite good in brown dress robes, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint.

"You look gorgeous," he whispered into her ear, making her smile slightly.

It was a truly beautiful evening, with a lot of dancing, laughing and Butterbeer. The occasional stabs of annoyance at seeing glimpses of Black were replaced with a strangely giddy feeling whenever Julian spoke to her. That prick wasn't going to ruin her night and she determinedly stayed away from him all throughout.

At a quarter past midnight, Sia and Julian said goodnight to each other outside the Portrait of the Fat Lady. At the last moment, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. It was awkward and Sia was thoroughly embarrassed to hear the Fat Lady mutter something about 'inappropriate behaviour', but the thrill she felt travelled to her cheeks, warming them and notifying Julian of the fact that she wasn't averse to this happening again.

He gave her a small smirk before walking away to his common room.

…

"Prefect rounds are such a bother," groaned Sia.

Remus chuckled into his Defense textbook, earning a glare from his friend. She was especially grumpy today because she hadn't gotten much sleep after coming back from the Founder's Ball. Apparently, her friends hadn't allowed her to rest until she spilled 'every gory detail'.

"They're not that bad," he said, trying to hide his amusement at her frown.

"Easy for you to say. You get to patrol with Perfect Prefect Lily. I, on the other hand, have Inadvertently Injured Andrew as my partner. Bloody idiot took another Bludger to the head today."

Remus looked at her consolingly. As a Beater, Andrew got injured a lot. Which meant that Sia had to patrol on her own quite often.

"I'm sure it won't be too bad. You just have a couple of days and then it's the holidays!" he grinned, as she made a face.

"What about you, Remus? Going back for Christmas?"

"Nah. I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Don't think I'll be up for travelling anytime soon," he said, looking uncomfortable. Now that he mentioned it, Sia realized that he had an unhealthy pallor, and his normally sparkling eyes looked tired and bloodshot.

"So then why are you sitting here exactly? Get to Pomfrey. She'll give you some Pepper Up or something," scolded Sia.

"Aye, aye!" said Remus, with a mock salute, before wincing under the weight of his books and walking off.

That night, Sia thought about Remus a lot while patrolling. She didn't need to be too alert because most of the students were content to remain in their warm common rooms. The only other Prefect on duty nearby was Avery, a stuck up Slytherin arse. She didn't fancy running into him, so she stayed away from his patrol area.

Remus had become a good friend in the last couple of months. He was very unlike his friends in the sense that he was very understanding and sensitive. But then, he was their friend for a reason. She had heard many stories from James about how Remus was the mastermind behind most of their biggest pranks. Cheeky devil!

It was too bad that he had such poor health. Sia knew what it felt like to constantly be wary of one's health; it was a terrible feeling and it warranted many unkind sympathizers. She wondered how Remus dealt with it all so casually. He was polite and friendly with almost everyone. Perhaps that was because he generally fell ill for very short bursts. It would usually be a couple of days, and his friends would be worried sick during the entire course of his visit to the Hospital Wing. She had even heard a rumor that Black had punched himself in the face so that he'd be allowed into the Hospital Wing to see Remus when Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let them in.

"Idiotic," she murmured under her breath at the thought of Black's attention-seeking antics. But then, she could see why he did that for Remus. He was just too good a friend.

She heard a rather alarmingly loud exchange of words nearby, and wondered what was going on. Couldn't she get one night of peace?

She was surprised to see James facing off against Avery, their wands out and stance rigid. Strange. What was going on?

"You're out of bed after hours, Potter. I'll be docking points for this," said Avery, his eyes glinting maliciously.

"Do whatever the hell you want to, Avery. Just get out of my way," snarled James.

Sia had never seen James behave in this manner. He was normally cheerful, and extremely jovial even while hexing random students. But there was something different in the air tonight.

"And why should I do that?" sneered Avery. "Maybe this time you'll be given more than detention for trying to sneak out of the castle at night."

"Don't make me use my wand, Avery," said James, a strange urgency flitting through his voice.

"Go ahead. But remember, we are much closer to the dungeons than the Gryffindor common room, Potter."

James lowered his wand for a fraction of a second, and Sia took this opportunity to study his face. It was white and there was a distinct look of fear in his generally cocky expression. Something was seriously wrong.

And that prompted Sia to do something unbelievably stupid.

" _Stupefy!_ " she yelled, catching Avery from the back. His body froze before crumpling into a heap.

James looked shocked and immediately readied his wand to defend himself but faltered slightly when he realized who the attacker was.

"Sia? Wha-"

"Go. Do whatever you were going to do. I'll cover for you," she said, looking at him earnestly.

James just nodded his head in acknowledgement before rushing out onto the grounds.

Before she froze from shock herself, Sia levitated Avery's body to an inconspicuous corner outside the dungeon. Some friendly Slytherin would undoubtedly lift the spell when they found him. Right now, she was more worried about James. She wondered if she should wait for him, in case he ran into any unwanted dawdlers.

As she started walking towards the spot where the altercation had occurred, two figures came hurtling into the castle, one of them supporting the other.

She was shocked to see James holding on to a violently shaking Snape, who appeared to be babbling incoherently.

"For Merlin's sake, Snape! Keep it down!" James hissed, as he took the unmistakable route to the Hospital Wing.

The last thing Sia heard before they disappeared from sight was Snape's horrified murmur, "I knew it. Lu-lupin's a werewolf!"

…

The Hogwarts Express left for King's Cross at eleven that day. Sia was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, so she didn't bother waking up early. Another reason was, of course, the alarming exclamation by Snape. Sia had tossed and turned for a long time before finally succumbing to fitful slumber.

She couldn't believe it. Remus was a werewolf? That was horrible! But then… It all made sense somehow. His illnesses, now that she thought about it, happened only once a month, and sure enough, it was always during the full moon. It would also explain the myriad of scars that just couldn't be explained away by Remus' 'furry little problem'. She had always assumed this meant that he had a rather badly behaved rabbit or cat, but now she wondered if it was perhaps James alluding to his condition.

She shot up in bed, suddenly wide awake. She wanted to go and see Remus. She wasn't sure whether he would like to discuss the fact that his condition made him one of the most shunned people in wizarding society. It wasn't the most cheerful topic of discussion. She wondered how she could show her support without letting him find out that she knew. Probably a slab of chocolate from her Honeydukes stash. Yes! Remus had a particularly large sweet tooth.

She was headed towards the Hospital Wing when she saw four figures walking towards her. She knew it was them by their unmistakable swagger, which was mainly due to James and Black. But they were surrounding Remus this time, who looked rather ragged but delighted to be surrounded by his friends.

Their expressions changed when she came into view. Pettigrew looked alarmed, James uncomfortable, Black cold and Remus guilty.

And that's what really got to her. The fact that Remus felt responsible and ashamed of something he had no control over. The fact that such a wonderful person suffered so horrifically through no fault of his own. The fact that he was barely managing to make eye contact with her.

She ran towards them and hugged the sandy haired boy with all her might. The tears were inevitable, and soon she was sobbing softly into his shoulder. She felt his hands hesitantly wrap around her, and she trembled as another wave of emotion overtook her.

"You stupid, stupid boy," she managed to say between her sobs. "Why do you feel ashamed? You're one of the best people I have had the fortune of meeting and you have no right to feel guilty about your condition!" She pulled away from him, looking at him with swollen eyes.

"I'm sorry. That's a horrible thing to say. I'm being terribly insensitive. Of course this is a big deal. People are far too prejudiced to understand the reality of the situation. I'm so sorry, Remus. I'm here for you. If you need me, and even if you don't. Your furry little problem is my furry little problem as well," she finished, hiccoughing slightly, as Remus managed a weak laugh.

She gave him one more tight hug before releasing him.

"Right. Sorry about that," she murmured, wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her sleeve.

James was looking at her with a delighted expression, while Pettigrew looked sort of scared and hopeful at the same time. Remus was smiling at her fondly, and she hit him lightly on the shoulder with the bar of chocolate before handing it to him.

But what was most surprising was the look of utter surprise and disbelief on Black's face as he continued to stare at her rather disturbingly. Sia brushed it off, and linked arms with James and Remus before walking towards the Great Hall.

…

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 **Please review!**


	7. Once Beaten, Twice Teased

**I AM SO SORRY BUT I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL AND I HAD TO UPLOAD THE LATEST CHAPTER! ;_;**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

It was safe to say that Sia would not be lonely during the Christmas break even though her dorm was completely empty. The Marauders had scooped her up like the first bite of Florian Fortescue's Malt Chocolate Mystery, that is, with gusto and glee. Her mild annoyance didn't last very long because they were quite hilarious.

Pettigrew happened to be the worst charmer, his main topics of discussion were food and Herbology. Sia didn't mind the food bit but Herbology was a strict no for her. Nevertheless, Pettigrew had a pathetic sweetness about him which made Sia understand exactly why Rowena hung out with him so much.

Remus was much more open with her now that she knew about his 'furry little problem'. Sia wasn't sure whether she regretted this or not. He was, undoubtedly, the most devious of the bunch. There was no telling when Remus was going to pull a prank because he always maintained a straight face, innocence and naivety radiating from him. Sia had learned not to trust that particular look of his. It usually meant that James and Black were probably off pulling some incredible prank.

What could she say about the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain? He was a huge nerd. As cool as the entire school thought him to be, he was a true fanboy, gushing over the Tutshill Tornadoes and trying out different tricks with new kinds of magic. There was nothing remotely suave about the boy. He was lanky, confident and in need of a hairstylist. His boyish charm was almost irresistible and the only time Sia ever saw his serious and loyal side was when he was around his three friends. Once you became friends with James, you became his family. It was a tag along that came with a no-return policy.

The fourth Marauder was still a dicey issue for Sia. He wasn't being horribly mean or rude to her anymore, but he didn't really speak to her either. He was quite moody, brooding away at many different times of the day. Sia would never admit it out loud, but Black wasn't as bad as she had come to believe. He definitely wasn't her favorite person, but there was no reason he had to be either. They kind of accepted each other's existence, not interacting unless absolutely necessary. Though Sia had caught him in one of his rare moments of happiness – laughing without abandon along with James and Remus as Pettigrew managed to goof up in some way.

She was dying for her friends to get back so she could discuss the Marauders with them. There was also another reason why she hadn't been lonely during the holidays. A certain Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain had taken to spending a lot of time with her. He was charming and teased her a lot. She loved all the attention he laid on her when they spent time together. She had no idea that she was the type who would get love-struck. But then again, you learn something new everyday.

"How many times have you guys snogged?"

Sia made a face but couldn't help the slight blush that tinged her cheeks.

"A few times," she said, rolling her eyes at the delightedly mischievous looks in her friends' eyes.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What else have you done?"

Sia turned a deep shade of red and threw a hair clip at Rowena.

"I haven't done anything else, thank you very much!" she answered heatedly.

"Alright, break it up you two," said Bedelia, intervening with a sigh. "You needn't be embarrassed talking to us about this stuff, Sia. And even if you do anything further, it's absolutely fine. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yup. You might like doing other things as well. We won't judge you if you ever take it up a notch with any guy," said Anna, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Alright. Let's drop this topic. Do you guys want to know about The Marauders or not?"

"YES!"

After describing her last ten days spent in the company of the Marauders, Sia was extremely amused with all their reactions.

"I can't believe Remus is the mastermind behind most of their pranks!" gasped Anna.

"Can't you?" snorted Rowena. "That little bugger has mischief written all over his face. I'm more interested in Black. And why you've suddenly changed your opinion of him, Sia."

"Meh. Black's your typical misunderstood, dark, brooding narcissist. But I am very interested in the workings of James Potter's mind. I daresay you find him rather endearing, my dear Artemisia!" said Bedelia, in a mock posh tone.

"Wow. Why don't you lot decide for yourself at dinner tonight? We can go and sit with them. I'm sure Lily won't be too happy about being left alone at the Lion's Den without a few Eagles to make life bearable," said Sia, earning weird looks from her friends. "Oh, you know what I mean!"

…

Dinner was unusually pleasant. House tables were much less segregated after the holidays. Sia was also extremely pleased to see her friends getting along with the Gryffindor boys. Rowena was engrossed in a conversation with Remus while Anna looked slightly uncomfortable talking to Pettigrew about cheese. Eve was sitting on Remus' right, talking to Lily and sending small smiles in his direction every time he looked towards her. Surprisingly, Bedelia was chatting with Black, causing Sia to frown slightly. Just because they weren't bitter enemies anymore, didn't mean she liked the guy mixing with her friends.

Julian had come over to sit with them and was intensely wrapped up in a Quidditch discussion with James. He would give her hand a light squeeze occasionally, and Andrew, who was sitting on her other side, would try in vain to disguise his snorts of amusement.

"Bastard," murmured Sia, after dinner. They were all in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Eve had stayed out to spend time with Remus, and Bedelia and Anna had gone up to the dormitory. Which meant that it was only herself, Rowena and Andrew sitting together.

"Hey! What did I do?" asked Andrew in mock horror.

"You know perfectly well what you did, wanker!" she growled, hitting him on his arm.

He burst out laughing at the enraged look in her eyes. "Yeah, I do. Little Miss Obvious over here was practically swooning at dinner. What with all the gentle caresses from the Head Badger." Sia hit him harder this time. "Hey! That hurts!"

"No it doesn't. You're built like a bloody brick anyway," muttered Sia, darkly.

"Oh no, I can't believe I missed that!" whined Rowena. "Sia's first relationship and I missed out on some of her first embarrassing moments!"

"Don't worry. At the rate she's going, there'll be plenty more."

"I hate you two. And we aren't even in a relationship."

"Oh, so you just happen to spend a large amount of time with him, out of which a majority of it is spent snogging?" asked Andrew, with a devilish grin.

"Ugh! No, what I meant was, he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend or anything!"

"Really?" asked Rowena, with a frown.

"Yeah."

"He'll get to it. Or maybe he has and you're just too thick to notice it," said Andrew, airily.

"It's true. You are a bit dense when it comes to these things. You remember when poor old Benjy was madly in love with her and gave her a bunch of flowers?" piped up Rowena.

"And she thought he was trying to attack her!" replied Andrew, collapsing into a fit of giggles. Rowena had fallen off the couch and was now clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face.

"I need new friends," muttered Sia, darkly.

…

"Mooooooonyyyyyyyy!"

Remus raised an eyebrow at his friend lying down on the bed, his shirt and tie discarded.

"What's up, Padfoot?"

"I'm jealous," he said, and Remus was amused to see him pouting slightly.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You've gone and gotten yourself a girlfriend. And ABANDONED ME!" he yelled dramatically, masking the sound of Remus' inkpot smashing on the floor.

"Fuck," he murmured, trying to clear up the mess.

"WHAT?"

"Oi! Padfoot! Stop yelling yeah? You almost made my bollocks retreat permanently," said James, coming out of the bathroom in annoyance.

"PRONGS! MOONY'S BETRAYED ME! HE'S FUCKING HER!" screamed Sirius, completely ignoring one crimson and one bemused friend.

"Padfoot," said James, "Shut up!"

"BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, PRONGS! TRANSGRESSION! BLASPHEMY! SACRILEGE-" A large book came hurtling in his direction, effectively shutting him up. Sirius scowled and rubbed his head gingerly. "Well, that was extremely uncalled for, Moony."

"Git," muttered Remus, still very red and massaging his right arm.

"Woah, Moony," whistled James. "That's one heck of a throwing arm you've got. Reckon you should try out next year. We'll need someone after the Prewetts graduate."

"Stuff it, Prongs. For the love of Merlin's saggy underpants, stop talking about Quidditch for more than three minutes!"

"Can't help it. Big game tomorrow. You know how it is, Moony," shrugged James. "So who's this bird Padfoot was talking about?"

Remus turned red again and James looked towards Sirius for more information. However, his other best friend was sulking by the window, pointedly looking away from them.

"Look here, Moony. Either you tell me, or I'll join Sirius in his vocal antics."

"Fine, fine," grumbled Remus, earning a grin from the bespectacled boy. "He's talking about Eve."

"Diggle? Ravenclaw Keeper?"

"The one and the same."

"Snogged her yet?"

"No."

"Get to it then."

Remus grinned at his friend's matter of fact tone. He liked Eve a lot but was too scared to make a move. He wasn't sure he should be in a relationship because of his rare condition.

"Of course you should be in a relationship, you fucking moron."

Remus bit back a laugh as Sia glared at a particularly dry piece of toast in front of her. The game was in half an hour and he could see that she was tensed. She had a tendency to curse and abuse when she was stressed. That and glare at food rather than eat it.

"But I'm worried. I'm not normal, Sia. I'm dangerous."

"You couldn't open a fucking jam jar last week, Remus. My arse you're dangerous," she snapped.

"I'm with Adams on this one."

"You weren't last night, Padfoot," said Remus, dryly.

"Moment of weakness. I'm over it now," he said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"Padfoot, eat up. We'll be heading out in a bit," said James, settling down beside Sia and was soon followed by Pettigrew.

"Why the fuck has the entire Gryffindor House descended on me? Is this some kind of intimidation tactic?" snapped Sia, again.

"That's not very nice, Sia. You hurt us with your words," said James, with a mock pout. Sia looked ready to hex him before someone intervened.

"Eat the eggs, Sia. And stop being a shirty cow," said Rowena, casually passing her a plate of scrambled eggs. "Sorry boys. She's always like this before a match."

"Fuck you all."

"Love you too, Sia," sang her Ravenclaw friends, making her glare even more.

…

It was good weather. The sun was out and there was a very light breeze blowing. Sia felt her anger ebb slightly as she flew out. She had almost thrown up her breakfast when Julian had given her a good luck kiss before she headed towards the locker room. A wonderful feeling, really.

Nigel and James shook hands, both looking equally determined, although James did flash her a smile as he made eye contact with her. The corner of Sia's mouth lifted slightly in acknowledgement. The whistle was blown and the match was in progress.

Sia soared into the air, surveying the entire field. This was going to be a much tougher game than the one against Hufflepuff. Gryffindor were favorites for the Cup, especially with James leading them. She hoped Eve would be able to manage the hoops well. She was deft and capable, but rather small in size. The Gryffindor Chasers were all tall, big-built boys with exceptional flying skills.

Nigel had the Quaffle, he ducked two of the Gryffindor Chasers and a couple of well-timed Bludgers from Black. He was now one on one with the Keeper. Sia recognized the play and waited with bated breath for his next move.

"Ravenclaw have scored the first goal of the match! Captain Trent with a well executed feint at the last minute!"

Sia cheered along with the rest of the supporters in blue. James had the Quaffle this time and he was flying rather well. Colin and Nigel tried to intercept the Quaffle as he passed it back and forth with his second Chaser Jones. The Bludgers were proving ineffective as well.

"Captain Potter making his way through the field – passes Jordan and Trent – dodges some well struck Bludgers from Knightly – up against Keeper Diggle now and it looks tight BUT HE SCORES!"

The red section of the crowd erupted this time. Sia grit her teeth, an ominous feeling overtaking her. Eve had barely managed to keep up with James, let alone stop him. She knew Eve's plays inside out and she had been rattled. Knowing James' brilliant tactical mind, it probably wouldn't take him too much time to realize that Eve was their weak link in this match.

Sure enough, the Ravenclaw goal hoops suddenly faced a terrible onslaught. The Gryffindor Beaters were doing a brilliant job of clearing all blue specks except the Keeper. The tactic was clear – get to the Keeper as soon as possible. And they were successful. Nigel, Liam and Colin barely got their hands on the Quaffle as James and his team wrecked havoc. Black and his partner were also in top form. Andrew and Samuel were having a tough time diverting Bludgers because of the accuracy of the Gryffindor bats. The only thing that could save them was the Snitch.

"Gryffindor are leading 220-60 and the match has been on for barely more than 20 minutes! Ravenclaw need to pick up their pace if they intend to have a fighting chance!"

That's when Sia saw the flash of gold. She knew that the Gryffindor Seeker, Lewis, had seen it as well. But she was in two minds. Even if she did catch the Snitch, they'd still lose. Should she try and stall Lewis until Nigel and the others had scored a couple more goals?

"Potter scores again! That's 15 goals to the Captain's credit in this one game!"

Perhaps not. The longer she waited, the longer the lead became. If she didn't catch the Snitch, they'd lose by 300 points. And if she caught it, they'd lose by 50. Her choice was clear. Although she knew that Nigel would not be happy with her for cutting short their time to score more goals and even the score.

To hell with him.

She zoomed off after the Snitch, knowing that Lewis was too inexperienced to pose too much of a threat. He was lanky and nervous – a third year floundering in a star team. She knew she could reach the Snitch before him.

And she did. But there were no celebrations this time.

Instead, Nigel gave her a good talking to in the locker room. Or rather, a shouting to.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Adams?! Why the hell did you catch the Snitch so early?" he bellowed.

"If you hadn't noticed, there wasn't much chance of us reducing the gap, Nigel," she replied as calmly as possible.

"And who are you to decide that? The bloody game was over in half an hour because of your stunt! You could've stalled that kid Lewis! We could've won this, Adams!"

"No, we couldn't. They were too good for us. You saw it as well, Nigel. Potter scored 15 goals by himself. If I hadn't caught the Snitch when I did, we'd have lost by an even greater margin!"

"50 laps before the next practice starts."

Nigel stalked off, leaving a dejected Ravenclaw team and a particularly frustrated Seeker.

…


	8. Uncomfortable, Unaware, Unwanted

**BACK!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

April brought about the prospect of upcoming Easter holidays and saw the effective end of Ravenclaw's Quidditch Cup hopes. They had been crushed by Slytherin in the last week of March, Sia failing to catch the Snitch for the first time that season. Needless to say, Nigel Trent was a very dissatisfied school-leaving Captain.

There were changes happening everywhere. Some expected and some surprising. Remus and Eve had finally started dating, the latter having excitedly told Sia exactly how things had progressed between the two of them. Sia thought that Remus was rather adorable, but refrained from saying that because she felt like Eve was entering a completely new relationship and she didn't need the stress of competition (imagined or otherwise). She could talk much more freely with Remus even though they had just been friends for a few months. Was it because he was a boy? Did that entitle less 'drama'? No. It was probably Remus' personality. He was much calmer than her other friends. Especially Eve, who riled up when she was not in control of things around her. Which was problematic because one couldn't hope to always have control over everything around them.

Still, Remus and Eve balanced each other out pretty well, and Sia could see that they were both quite smitten with each other. Disgusting, but cute. Hopefully they wouldn't be into PDA.

"Oh man!"

"Sia."

"They're so into PDA!"

Bedelia rolled her eyes and continued working on her Herbology homework. Rowena made a gagging noise, and Anna just looked extremely uncomfortable.

"But they've only started dating, it'll probably wear off…" she tried, halfheartedly.

"Not a chance. This is the first time Moony's getting any action. You're out of luck, Carlisle," said James, suddenly appearing from behind them and settling next to Sia.

"Ugh! You're disgusting, James. Don't they use your dormitory all the time?"

"Smart work, Detective Adams," he grinned.

"It's a right pain in the arse. Just admit it, Prongs," said Black, pulling up a chair and sitting down at their table.

"I thought you of all people wouldn't be put off by PDA, Black," said Sia, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Adams," he said, surveying her coolly.

"Let's keep it that way," she said, narrowing her eyes.

The entire table fidgeted slightly during this exchange, except Bedelia, who was meticulously doing her homework. James cleared his throat abruptly and punched Black lightly.

"Oi Padfoot! Look, it's Meadows," he said, motioning towards the blonde Hufflepuff at the other end of the library. Black promptly left the table and made his way towards her.

Sia frowned. Why was Black targeting all her friends? But if there was anyone who could handle being around Black, it was Dorcas. So Sia relaxed in her chair and turned her attention back to her homework.

…

"Sia?"

She looked up from her book and saw Rowena looking at her curiously.

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

"You've been acting off for the past few days."

"Quidditch season was tough. I need some time to get over it," said Sia, shrugging.

Rowena knew that this wasn't the case. Something was bothering her best friend. She would space out of conversations a lot, frowning to herself. She participated in everything, but halfheartedly. She was quiet, not that she had been a particularly loud person before, and fell asleep early. The most telling thing was, of course, the lack of dessert on her plate.

Rowena wanted to prod her some more but that wouldn't have helped her case. Sia didn't share things unless she felt comfortable enough with herself. She'd give her some time. Rowena was sure she'd eventually tell her what was bothering her.

It happened a couple of days before the final Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. The four girls were sitting out by the lake and enjoying some free time before Potions.

"Finally! Some spare time for us to talk! I feel like I haven't spoken to you guys in ages!" said Rowena, stretching on the grass.

"We share a dorm, Ro," said Bedelia, shaking her head in amusement.

"You're no fun, Beedz. And don't think I haven't forgotten about your mystery letters," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Bedelia, a hint of pink tingeing her cheeks.

"Are we going for the last Quidditch match then?" asked Anna, trying to change the subject.

"Of course, especially since it's our dear Sia's boyfriend's last Hogwarts match," teased Rowena, nudging Sia lightly.

"No."

"No? Is he not graduating this year then?" asked Rowena, confused.

"He's not my boyfriend. We broke up," said Sia, surveying her friends' faces.

"What?!" screamed Rowena.

"I'm so sorry, Sia," said Anna, giving her friend a tight hug.

"When did this happen?" asked Bedelia.

"A while back."

"Why didn't you te-" Rowena was cut off by Anna giving her a violent nudge in the ribs.

"I thought you hadn't been spending time with him because of his busy Quidditch schedule. I didn't know it was because you guys had broken up. I'm really sorry, Sia," said Bedelia, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"It's not a big deal. We were barely dating anyway," she said, smiling slightly. But Rowena saw her eyes flicker for a moment, before becoming blank again.

"Sia, why didn't you tell anyone?"

Everyone else was asleep in the dorm. Rowena knew that Sia was still awake because she kept tossing and turning.

"What's the big deal, Ro?"

"The big deal is that this was your first relationship."

"And now it's over. Don't worry about it."

"I feel like I shouldn't go back for Easter break. I don't want to leave you alone here."

Sia snorted. "Alone? There are plenty of people staying back, Ro."

"Yeah. But none of your friends. The three of us won't be here. Neither will Andrew, Lily, Remus or Eve."

"I have other friends as well, Ro."

"Name two and I'll drop this."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Dorcas and Bertram."

"Bertram? As in Bertram Aubrey? Fourth year Gryffindor?"

"Shh! Yes. He's a really sweet boy who worships the ground James walks on. I hung out with him a few times over Christmas break when I had no company but the Marauders. He's staying back as well and he said he wanted some Quidditch tips from me since James wouldn't be staying either."

"I always thought Aubrey was pretty annoying. But then again, I've never really spoken to him."

"Whatever. I gave you two names. Plus, some of the Ravenclaw team is staying back as well. So don't worry."

Rowena frowned but didn't say anything. Sia pulled the curtains around her four poster, signaling the end of the conversation.

…

"Sia!"

Sia turned around to see a tall boy with thick, bouncy hair running towards her.

"Hey Bertie!" she said, waving at him.

"Just wanted to check whether we're still on for Exploding Snap tonight."

"Absolutely."

"And you're sure you don't want to make it Fired Explosive Snap?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, Bertie. I'm sure. Leave the Firewhiskey out of this. You're definitely underage."

"Okay," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly.

Sia hadn't told Rowena the entire truth. She wasn't good friends with Bertram Aubrey. He was just a kid who spoke to her occasionally. They had no Quidditch plans and he definitely hadn't hung out with her a lot during Christmas break.

She wondered where Dorcas was. She hadn't been lying about that. Her friend was staying back and she was glad about that. Dorcas was so mature and balanced. Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that she was the same age as the rest of them. Dorcas always knew the answers to everything and you could always go to her for sound advice.

Perhaps she was in the Hufflepuff common room. Sia had never actually gone in but she knew where it was.

As she neared it, a strange sight caught her eyes. She could see Dorcas' blonde hair peaking out of the corner of the corridor. She wondered what she was doing there alone.

Only, she wasn't alone. She was with Sirius Black. Snogging him.

"Sia!" said Dorcas, surprised to see her friend standing a few feet away from her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt," she said, before walking away. She saw Dorcas try to say something but quickened her pace, not wanting anyone to see her reaction. Especially not Black, with his coolly raised eyebrow.

She came to a stop only when she heard a few voices in front of her. She didn't want to bump into anyone and decided to take a detour but stopped short when she heard something strange.

"But she was hot, wasn't she?"

"Oh yeah. Quite hot."

"Why'd you dump her then?"

"Mate, a bloke can only wait so long for a bird to give him some. I could see that things weren't going to be moving anytime soon. And it's not like I'm going to be here for a long time. What's the point in taking things slow?"

"So it had nothing to do with Angela McCormick then?"

There were a few laughs at this. Sia's heart was pounding in her chest. It couldn't be…

"Well, she may have tipped the scales slightly."

"You dog, Jules!"

Sia walked out from behind the suit of armor and her worst fears were confirmed. Standing in front of her were a group of 7th year Hufflepuffs, including Julian Morris. They laughing and joking, still unaware of her presence.

"So now that you're done with her, Jules, can I have a shot with Adams?" asked a particularly burly 7th year.

"Bastard!" shouted Sia.

The boys suddenly saw her and looked very uncomfortable.

"Hey Sia, it's not what it looks like-" began Julian.

"You! I can't believe I actually believed you! You said that you- UGH! You lying fucktard!" she screamed.

"Sia! What's wrong?"

Something snapped within her as she saw Dorcas and Black running towards them.

"None of your business!" she snapped.

"Now Sia, just calm down."

"Shut UP! You fucking ARSE!" she yelled at Julian before walking towards him and punching him in the face.

There was stunned silence for a moment before the other Hufflepuffs started moving towards her.

"You get anywhere near me and you'll wish you hadn't been born," she snarled.

Before they could do anything, a few hexes hit the nearest one and someone grabbed her hand and pulled her away. By the time they stopped, they had reached the front of the Great Hall.

"Sia, are you okay?" asked Dorcas, still holding onto her hand. Sia snatched it away and looked around her. She saw Black running towards them. He had probably been the one to cast the hexes.

"Sia, your hand is bleeding. You need to go to the Hospital Wing," said Dorcas, concern lacing her voice.

"The last person I'm going to be listening to is you," she said, coldly.

…

"So, what changed your mind?" asked Bertram, pouring out the last of the Firewhiskey.

"Injured hand. Needed something to numb the pain," she said, placing a card gingerly on the table.

"Exploding Snap probably wasn't the best solution to that," he chuckled before placing his card on the pile and watching it burst into flames.

"Well, there's only so much winning I can take," said Sia, finishing her glass. "I'm off. And don't you dare drink anymore," she warned.

The Firewhiskey had given her a pleasant buzz but she still felt a lot of anger within her. It had been such a rough day. She felt betrayed and humiliated by Julian's words. It was like her worst fears had become reality. To top it off, Dorcas was off with Black. It annoyed her so much. It was so easy for people to get into relationships and enjoy themselves, and here she was hesitant and paying the price for that. She felt resentment towards Dorcas for having found a boyfriend while she had basically been played like a guitar. And why was it Sirius Black? There were plenty of other people in school. Decent people. Why was Dorcas, her intelligent level-headed friend, going out with the obnoxiously arrogant Sirius Black?

She realized that she had walked out onto the grounds unknowingly. It was past curfew and she definitely wasn't supposed to be out here. But alcohol steered her legs away from the castle and she finally settled down near a few trees.

A cool breeze was blowing and she leaned against the trunk of the tree. She could hear a strange rustling noise nearby and slowly grabbed her wand.

"You're fucking kidding me," she said, looking at the large shaggy black dog coming out of the bushes.

"What the fuck…"

The dog seemed to be surveying her for a bit before moving towards her. She didn't hate animals, but they weren't her favorites either so she crossed her arms and frowned at it.

"If you think I'm going to pet you then you're barking up the wrong tree," she said. The dog ignored her and settled down near the trunk of the tree.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Where'd you come from? Why am I talking to a dog?" she muttered. The dog wrinkled its nose and looked up at her.

"Whatever. Stay here for all I care. I'm not going to move."

The dog slowly nudged her elbow with its wet nose. She frowned at it and could swear she saw its eyes twinkling.

"You're weird. But then who am I to talk?" She saw the dog listening to her alertly.

"Just found out that my boyfriend dumped me because I wasn't shagging him. Wanker."

The dog barked in what seemed like agreement.

"Ridiculous, really. Can't believe I'm so worked up about a stupid boy," she said, absentmindedly stroking the dog with one finger. This was well received as he started wagging his tail.

"I wasn't even dating him properly. We barely spoke after he kissed me the first time. I feel like such an idiot. Shit. Look at that, I'm actually crying. Hey! Stop licking me! Oi!" she said, laughing in exasperation as the dog got on its hind legs and started licking the tears off her face.

"Alright. They're gone. I'm not crying anymore," she said, finally pushing him off.

"You're rather large and heavy. Don't ever tackle me, okay? I need to have all of my bones for Quidditch next season. If I get a chance to play, that is," she said, suddenly moody again. The dog perked up his ears and looked at her. "Don't worry. I'm not going to burst into tears anytime soon," she laughed, and uncertainly stroked one of his ears. The dog started wagging his tail again, extremely pleased with her words.

…

* * *

 **Okay. So a lot happened in this chapter. And don't worry if it seems rushed or forced. I'll explain a lot of things in the coming chapters. Hope you liked it!**

 **Read and review!**

 **Cheers!**


	9. Cruelty, They Name is Friendship

**Hey guys! Decided to change the title of the story because I've decided to expand the timeline I'm going to cover. Hope things are shaping up better than before.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

For the first time in her life, Sia felt extremely lonely. Her mouth would pull down into a frown without her even realizing it. She didn't have any of her friends around, and she was avoiding Dorcas like the plague. There were times when she would just sit near the window and do nothing. She hadn't replied to any of the letters Rowena, Anna and Bedelia had sent. They'd be back in a couple of days so what was the point anyway…

She had gotten a rather worrying letter from back home. Something that she definitely didn't need right now. Clutching the parchment in her hand, she slowly walked out of the Owlery. That's when she heard it. Two voices arguing in whispers. Angry whispers.

"You can tell the old hag that it's none of her business!"

"Don't call her that."

"Would you stop being mummy's precious boy for one second and look at what she's doing to you?!"

"She's not doing anything to me. You're just too prejudiced."

"I'M prejudiced?! That's a good one, Reg. So tell me, how long has it been since you've completely stopped using that brain of yours?"

"Just think about what I've said, brother."

Sia stared at the scene warily as Regulus Black left his older brother standing alone in the corridor. The older Black brother growled in frustration and punched the wall nearest to him. He swore as it cracked and blood started coming out from around his knuckles.

"Fuck," he winced, and clutched his hand.

"Next time you decide to punch solid stone walls, make sure you don't use your wand arm," she said, coming into his line of vision. He glared at her, his eyes glinting grey.

"Shove off, Adams. I don't have time for this right now," he growled.

"I think you do," she said, moving towards him and taking his injured wrist in her hand. He flinched and tried to jerk it away from her but she just raised an eyebrow and maintained her grip. "Stop being so stubborn. I'm trying to help you."

"Why? Why should I trust you?"

Something flashed in Sia's eyes before she masked it with indifference.

"Because you don't have much of a choice right now," she replied coolly. " _Vulnera Sanentur_ ," she muttered the incantation while gently moving her wand over his hand. The cuts and bruises slowly healed themselves, the blood clearing away rapidly. She dropped his hand once the spell was finished, almost as if touching him had burnt her in some way.

"Why'd you do that?" asked Black.

Sia didn't answer and walked back to her Common Room.

That was a bad move by Sia. Black effectively popped up everywhere she went, repeatedly asking her the same question. At breakfast, in the library, on the Quidditch pitch, you name it and he was there. He even stalked her to the Ravenclaw common room.

"Get lost, Black. I realize that you haven't had to take 'no' for an answer many times, but when I say that I'm not going to answer your question I bloody well mean it," she glared at him, as he stood outside the common room. She didn't want to answer the riddle from the common room knocker in case Black sneaked in after her.

"You're always so angry," he said, frowning slightly.

"And you're an obnoxious arse. Now that we've established the obvious, can you plea-"

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you always so angry?" he asked, the slight frown remaining as he tilted his head to one side.

"I don't see how this is any of your business," she replied frostily.

"It's not just Meadows, is it?" he mused, ignoring her threatening look. "Grey. He's part of the reason too, isn't he?"

Sia clenched her left hand into a fist and made to slap Black with her right hand. He caught it almost instantaneously. Her jaw became rigid, her entire body throbbing with anger and frustration. This position reminded her of the scene at the Owlery – how she had held his hand against his will. She didn't like a reversal.

"You weren't always this angry, were you? I mean, you're pretty calm on the Quidditch pitch. And I've hardly ever seen you talk to anyone outside your friends, let alone shout at anyone."

"What's your point? And would you fucking let go of my hand?" she growled.

He released his grip but continued to stare at her with the same slight frown.

"I'm not particularly interested in your personal life, Adams. But I can suggest better anger management techniques."

Sia's frown was so deep that she thought her eyebrows might be in danger of losing themselves in her eyes. Wait, was that even possible? Not important. She needed to focus on the infuriating problem in front of her.

"Excuse me?"

"Believe it or not, I've had to deal with my fair share of outbursts," he began, as Sia poorly attempted to hide her snort. "I get that feeling. When you feel like you're going to burst, when your throat feels like it's choking with emotion, when your facial muscles begin aching from the strain – I've experienced it all."

Sia gulped audibly, not sure how she had found herself in this situation. Black sounded quite sincere, and what was worse was that he was describing her feelings accurately.

Was he making it up? Could he fake this level of sincerity and empathy? What did he want from her? What if he was being genuine? It couldn't hurt to hear him out…

"And?" she urged him to continue.

"Come on. I'll show you," he said, walking away from the tower. When he noticed that she wasn't following, he turned back and frowned at her questioningly.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't trust you," she said simply.

That seemed to catch him off-guard. His surprise was masked quickly and replaced by a small smirk.

"Fair enough. I'm asking you to come out to the Quidditch pitch. I'll show you how I deal with my anger. You can try it afterwards if you want to. No obligations. And I'm not trying to trick you, so if you feel uncertain feel free to keep your wand at the ready."

Sia met his grey eyes for a second before huffing and looking away.

"Let's get going then."

Black had put on his Quidditch gear and Sia had followed suit, not wanting to be unprepared for whatever nefarious plot he was hatching.

"Here," he said, tossing a Beater's Bat in her direction. She had no trouble catching it but frowned at him nonetheless.

He took the Quidditch equipment box but didn't bother with a broom.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, exasperatedly.

"No flying involved I'm afraid."

Once they were at the center of the pitch, Black opened the box and kneeled down in front of it.

"Bludgers are designed to come back to you after you've hit it if you're the only person there. My method is simple – beat the hell out of the Bludger till I feel all the anger drain from my body."

"That seems… ridiculous. Don't you do just that in Quidditch practice?"

"Ha! You're determined to prove me wrong at every step, aren't you?" he said, quirking up an eyebrow.

"No. I just don't see the effectiveness of this procedure."

"Fine. Just watch me for a few minutes and then give it a go. If you still doubt it's effectiveness, nobody is forcing you to do anything," he said easily.

Sia rolled her eyes and sat down at a reasonably far distance. Black let one of the Bludgers loose and it immediately shot into the air. He readied his bat and swung at the metal ball, sending it hurtling in the opposite direction. His movements were fluid and practiced, and Sia began to wonder if he had just brought her here to show off. But then he dropped his bat and dived at the Bludger.

"Okay. Come on. Give it a go," he said, struggling with the ferocious ball.

Sia sighed and pick up the bat. Black let go of the Bludger and quickly moved away. As the enchanted metal ball came closer to her, Sia felt anticipation build inside as she readied herself to strike.

The first crack felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. She felt powerful and excited at the same time. It kept coming back and she kept swinging at it with full force. Exhaustion seemed like a very relaxing massage, and the sweat drops gliding down her hands and face elevated the tight feeling she had been keeping locked up. Her jaws felt loose and her back stopped hurting. The adrenaline gleamed like diamonds in her eyes.

After about an hour, they headed back to the castle. It was definitely awkward but Sia felt unusually calm and even a tiny bit happy. She didn't know whether she should say anything to the guy next to her.

"Thanks."

He turned towards her and nodded his head slightly.

"Why'd you help me?" she asked, her face heating up as she realized that their situation had been reversed again. "Er, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

Black raised an amused eyebrow and shrugged. Leaving her standing outside one of the moving staircases.

…

OWLs had started. And everyone was dealing with the stress in different ways.

Rowena had begun cramming a couple of weeks before. It was her usual style and she worked best with a slightly constrained timeline. This always annoyed Bedelia who had meticulously planned out her study schedule months before and was currently in her fifth stage of revision. Anna had basically confined herself to her bed or the library, coming out only when she felt faint from a lack of food. She would then eat a ton of chocolates and sugary food and buzz about with frenzied enthusiasm contemplating post-exam shenanigans.

Remus looked like he was going to burn himself out. His legendary stack of chocolate was always beside him but he had more than his own studies to worry about. Almost every few hours Eve would have a fit of nerves and it would be up to him to reassure her that she would not fail and things were indeed not going to end in a dramatic swirl of dragon dung. Pettigrew, who usually relied on Remus for academic support, having his own nervous episodes which meant that Black and James were busy trying to keep him from going to pieces. That didn't leave them much time to study but frankly it didn't look like they needed it.

"They are so annoying," Sia grumbled, blowing away an errant strand of hair from her face. She was currently in the library with Lily and Andrew. They had Transfiguration the next day and she had just seen James and Black sniggering on their way to the ground floor.

"I agree with the general sentiment," said Lily, not looking up from her notes. She was thorough and organized. A painfully accurate example of a model student.

"How come they aren't revising anything? If I recall correctly, they didn't revise before Charms either," she hissed.

"You're one to talk," snorted Andrew, sifting through the contents of his bag.

"What?"

"You aren't revising either, Sia," he said pointedly.

"Well, that's just – I mean, it's completely not – the point is – UGH!" she groaned and put her hands on her head. "I'm going out for some fresh air."

She felt guilty about not studying with everyone else. And she knew that telling them the reason would make her look like a pompous, arrogant arse. Colliding with someone in the Transfiguration corridor, she hastily apologized.

"Alright there, Adams?" asked Black, his face neutral and expression calm.

"Y-yeah," she said, suddenly remembering why Andrew brought that up in the first place. "Why aren't you revising?"

She knew she sounded a tad bit accusatory but she couldn't help it.

"Don't need to," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why?"

"OWL stuff isn't really brain-melting, Adams. You, for one, should definitely know that," he said, raising his eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, defensively.

"Nothing. I'm just saying that there's a reason you aren't revising either and it might not be very different from mine."

Sia glared at him for a second and then he turned around to leave. There was some amount of hesitation in her but she called out just before he turned the corner.

"Listen. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I, uhm, I've never actually spoken to anyone about this. So," she began, as he halted and turned towards her.

"I don't mind listening," he said.

"I don't find the lessons very difficult. After all the hype since fourth year, I was honestly a little disappointed with everything this year. I thought everything would be a lot tougher and it makes me feel uneasy and guilty that the others are working so much harder than me. It feels like I'm cheating somehow," she finished in a rush.

She didn't care that he hadn't responded yet and continued talking. She was on a roll and as close to spilling her guts to someone as distant as Black as she would ever be.

"I mean, I've understood the theory and I've done the practical bits as well. What's the point in going over everything seven times when I can cover it in two? I just don't get it. I mean, is there something wrong with me? Am I missing something?"

"I don't think so. If you're a quick learner, I don't see why you should feel guilty about it. You don't feel guilty about playing Quidditch better than your friends, do you? So why should this be any different?" he said.

"I guess not," she said, now feeling suddenly self-conscious. She wished she hadn't told Black all of these things. She only ever got close to talking about this with Rowena.

"Meadows talks about you a lot. That's how I know about your studying style," he said, smirking slightly.

"Oh," she said, suddenly remembering her fight with Dorcas. They hadn't made up yet even though the blonde Hufflepuff had tried to talk to her several times since the Easter break.

"I should get going. Peter was about to have a panic attack. We might need a Calming Draught for him after all," he said, jogging away.

Sia just stood there, feeling awkward and strange.

…

Defense Against the Dark Arts was their last theory paper. Sia had finished early and was trying hard not to doze off. James had finished as well and he and Black were exchanging weird faces. Very mature. By the time Flitwick had collected their papers, Sia was itching to get out into the sunlight.

"How'd you like question ten, Moony?" asked Black.

"Mention five signs to accurately identify a werewolf? Loved it," said Remus.

"You sure you'll be able to get them all?" asked James, joining in with mock concern.

"You guys are so immature," sighed Sia, pushing her way past them. She spotted Lily, Marlene and Rowena ahead and ran up to them.

"Lils, how was your paper?" asked Sia.

"Not too bad. I think I could have written a better description of the Disarming Spell," she said, although her eyes were bright and happy.

"That's great. Now let's plan our end of term celebrations, shall we?" asked Rowena, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Dibs on the alcohol!" screamed Marlene, earning a sneer from the nearby Slytherins. Lily tensed for a second as she spotted Snape walking ahead of Mulciber and Avery.

"You okay, Lils?" asked Sia. The red head nodded and smiled at her uncertainly.

They were sitting near the lake, Sia choosing the girls over James and Remus. Besides, James was being particularly obnoxious today. He had somehow nicked a Snitch and was showing off by letting it fly away and then dramatically catching it. Sia knew that James was a nice guy but he just became such an idiot around Lily. He kept ruffling his hair, pulling pranks and trying in every unsuccessful way to attract her attention.

"Ugh! Potter is at it again!" groaned Lily, flinging herself onto the grass. Sia patted her head sympathetically.

There was sudden commotion and they looked up to see James and Black stalking towards Snape. They had a very predatory stance about them and Snape looked ready to kill. This would not end well.

And it didn't.

Ultimately, Lily had stormed off into the castle after Snape had called her a mudblood. In the meantime, James was hanging the Slytherin boy upside down and taking some sort of warped revenge on Lily's behalf.

"Lily?" asked Sia, tentatively. The Gryffindor prefect was currently sitting outside the library, with her head buried in her knees. She looked up and Sia could tell that she had been crying. "How are you feeling?"

"Lousy. He was my best friend, Sia. I can't believe that…" she sobbed as Sia sat down beside her.

"It's all Potter's fault," she said, in between sobs. "If he hadn't been bullying Sev, things wouldn't have gotten so bad. I hate him!"

Sia didn't say anything. She stroked Lily's head, knowing that their friendship had been doomed from the start. Snape was destined for the Dark Arts and his unrequited love for Lily had made things even more complicated. She was sure that deep down, Lily herself knew the reason why her friendship had ended. Snape had been showing signs of dark activity for a while now and it had been bothering her a lot. Still, it couldn't be easy losing her friend like that.

Growing up really wasn't all it was hyped up to be.

…

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Cheers!**


	10. I Know What You Did This Summer

**A/N Hey guys! Two chapters back-to-back!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Sirius woke up early the next day. Even though his left side was still smarting from the curse his mother had thrown at him, leaving Grimmauld Place had been the best decision of his life. He could smell fresh breakfast being cooked downstairs as he quickly got dressed. He wore slacks and a Beatles T Shirt, before knocking on James' door.

"Prongsy? You up yet? I'm dying for a spot of breakfast."

"Come in. I'm almost done."

His best friend was currently examining a tiny cut on his chin, most probably a nick he got while shaving.

"Honestly, Prongs. You are, hands down, the most clumsy guy I've met," he said, falling onto the bed lazily. "You'd think you'd be able to shave that non-existent stubble of yours without nicking yourself after 3 years of practice."

"Stuff it, Padfoot. Not everyone is blessed with 'casual elegance' like you," he snapped. Both of them paused and then burst out laughing, remembering how Florence Abernethy had used that particular phrase to describe him back in the Christmas break.

"True. Just hurry up and heal it, mate. I can smell the bacon. It's calling out to me and I don't like to keep my love waiting," he declared, dramatically.

James snorted. "You've never shown up for any date on time. All the girls were practically dropping like dead flies because you told them you wanted to be 'fashionably late'."

Sirius barked out a laugh at this and ruffled his friend's hair.

"You're such a dick, Pads. How do you manage to get so many girls?" asked James, mussing his hair up in the proper way.

"Hey! I didn't ask to be blessed with such good looks. You think its easy walking around with gorgeous hair, perfect cheekbones and brilliant teeth? Not to mention other departments," he finished with a smirk.

"You're such a dog, mate," said James, punching him in the shoulder.

"You'd know."

…

"We're heading out, Mum," called James, as he and Sirius walked out of the house.

"Where do you want to go?" said Sirius, stifling a yawn. He honestly just wanted to lay about after such a divine breakfast.

"Over to good ol' Charlie's," he said with a grin. Charles Logan was a famous and somewhat reclusive broom maker who lived in Godric's Hollow. He was one of the last manufacturers who actually made each broom personally; meaning every product he sold was top class and one of a kind. James loved visiting his shop, and the older man had a soft spot for the bespectacled boy.

They walked to the end of the town till they reached a secluded hill. Charlie's house cum workshop was located on top of that. He owned a large plot of land, his workstations spread out in various different sheds.

"Charlie? You in here?" asked James, as he knocked on the door. There was no reply. "Hang on, I'll go in through the back and check."

Sirius nodded, preferring to wait outside. He had never met this elusive Charlie and he'd rather not burst in on him unannounced. Walking about the green clearing, he let out a small yawn. That bacon had made him incredibly sleepy.

He rounded a corner and almost bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know someone was here. I-"

His eyes widened as the person in front of him abruptly stopped their torrent of apologies. Her short black hair and dark brown eyes were unmistakable. Not to mention the shock that was clearly being mirrored by his face.

"Adams?"

"Black?"

"What're you doing here?" he asked immediately.

Overcoming her initial surprise, she slipped into her usual stance of polite defiance. Looking at her closely, he saw that she was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, her feet bare and hands grimy.

"I'm working here."

"Huh?"

"I'm working at Charlie Logan's over the summer," she said, slowly enunciating each word.

"You're… making broomsticks?" he asked, slightly incredulously.

"Yup," she said, popping the 'p'.

"That's…"

"Incredibly cool?" she asked, a smirk dancing on her lips.

"It's insane, Sia!"

They both looked around to see James bounding up to them. He was grinning widely, his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"I can't believe you're working with Charlie!"

"Believe it, James. Because I'm here for almost the entire summer break," she laughed at her friend's deliriously happy expression. "Though Charlie isn't here right now. I was just cleaning up some stuff. He won't be back till after lunch. So you're out of luck."

"Damn. I really wanted to meet the old man. Guess I'll come back later," he sighed. "Hey Sia, what're you doing now? Fancy a walk with me and Padfoot?"

"Sure. Just let me lock up," she said, walking into the main house.

Ten minutes later, they were walking back to the center of town. Sirius was still a bit shocked about finding Adams over there. Even though they weren't bitter enemies anymore, he still didn't know her as well as either James or Remus. He couldn't imagine her working on brooms.

"You'll have lunch at my place, right?" asked James.

"I will?" she asked, laughing at James' incredulous expression. "Why not? Let me in on your incredibly privileged life, Potter."

"You will not be disappointed, my cynical friend," he grinned, slinging an arm across her shoulder. Sirius was on his other side and soon his other arm was around his best mate's shoulder. The three of them found a quiet spot near the lake, where they sat and drank the Butterbeer that James had acquired from somewhere.

"So where are you staying? You can always crash at my place if Charlie gets too cranky."

Sia laughed loudly at this suggestion. "No, no. I'm not staying at Charlie's. My aunt and uncle live here as well. Do you know the Wagners?"

"Yeah, I've seen them around a few times. They moved here a few of years ago, right?"

"Yup. My mom's sister was Juliana Abbott. Pureblood to the bone. And then she went off and married a muggleborn – Michael Wagner. Quite a scandal, but people ultimately made their peace with it. Aunt Julia moved here with Uncle Mike after Cecilia was born."

"Sounds exciting, eh Padfoot?" asked James, nudging Sirius.

"I can only imagine the kind of chaos which must have erupted," he said with a wry smile.

"You have no idea."

"I think I do," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

…

Summer passed lazily, which suited Sirius just fine. He and James regularly played Quiditch in the latter's backyard. Remus had been over to visit a couple of times. Adams was also around sometimes. He was getting along better with her now. They had moved from caustic insults to indifferent silences to friendly banter.

Sometime in the middle of July, James had gone off to fetch Remus from the apparation spot and Sirius was relaxing under the large tree at the back of the house. He heard footsteps and soon saw the unmistakable figure of Adams standing in front of him.

"Is Remus here yet?" she asked, pushing her hair away from her forehead.

"Nah. Not yet. Prongs should be back with him in a bit, though," he said, shifting slightly and making room for her to sit.

She sat down and leaned against the trunk of the tree, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt. He often wondered why she was working at Charlie's. It was not something that people usually did. How had she managed to persuade the grumpy old man in the first place?

As these thoughts were flitting through his head, he heard her take off her shoes next to him.

"How are you holding up?"

He looked at her curiously, not knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"James told me. What's life like after prison break?"

He barked out a laugh at her choice of words while she continued to look at him expectantly.

"Loads better. Prongs' parents have been amazing to me," he said, not looking at her.

"That's good. You have guts, Black. I'll give you that. Breaking away from a poisonous environment is tougher than it looks. It's all well and good to say 'just suck it up and leave', but actually having the resolve to go through with the entire thing is something else."

She had turned away from him while saying this. He listened to what she had to say, every word hitting him with some sort of extra force.

"Have a lot of experience in this department, Adams?" he asked with a smirk.

She turned towards him with a sparkle in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Her eyes unnerved him sometimes. They were a swirl of black and brown, impassive at most times but he knew better. He had seen intense emotions dancing around in them on more than one occasion. He would never forget the day she had found out about Remus' condition, the fire in her eyes as she tried to convey her support with more than just words. Neither would he forget her unforgettable altercation with Grey. That bastard had deserved that nose-breaking punch.

He chuckled at this memory, her face scrunching up in confusion. "Alright there, Black? Not going barmy, are we?"

"Careful, Adams. Or I might start thinking that you care about me."

"Laboring under false impressions – seems to be something you're rather good at, Black," she replied, narrowing her eyes challengingly.

"Are you two fighting again?"

James and Remus walked up to them, the latter smiling genially while the former looked slightly exasperated. "I leave you two alone for twenty minutes and you can't even work with that," he stated, plopping down beside Sirius.

"Alright, Sia?" asked Remus, his sandy hair slightly longer than usual.

"Yup. And you? I heard that the last one was quite bad," she said, making room for him beside her. He shrugged and sat down, pulling out a Chocolate Frog from his pocket.

"You sure you aren't addicted, Moony?" asked Sirius with an amused sigh.

"What can I say, Padfoot? They keep me going," he replied with a grin and produced a few more from his pocket, offering them around.

"Moony, stop handing those things around. You'll spoil your lunch," said James.

"Sounding more and more like Mrs. Potter every day, mate. I'd be careful if I were you," said Remus.

"I don't know. It'd be a major improvement, honestly. Mrs. P is a stand up woman," said Sirius, through mouthfuls of chocolate.

"Say it, don't spray it, Black," said Adams, wiping off bits of chocolate from her face with visible disgust.

"My saliva is sacred, Adams. You should be honored," he said, lazily putting his arms behind his head.

"I'm sure Snape feels the same about his hair grease," she replied, James and Remus snorting next to her.

"You're daft, comparing me to Snivellus," scoffed Sirius.

"Why? You both have long black hair, pale skin, tall structure. I can see the resemblance clearly." By this time, James and Remus were in splits, while Sirius glared at her and chucked a handful of grass at her. "Mature, Black. Very mature."

After lunch, Remus and Sirius were playing Exploding Snap while James and Sia watched.

All of a sudden, an owl flew by, dropping four letters onto James' lap.

"Oi! Hogwarts letters! Get 'em while they're hot!" he yelled, waving them around excitedly.

"You're such a geek, Prongs. Just a Quidditch playing one," said Black, grabbing his letter.

Sia opened hers curiously, wondering why it was heavier than usual. Two letters were enclosed in the envelope along with a bronze and blue badge.

"Whatcha got there, Sia?" asked James. "Merlin! We've got ourselves some stiff competition! Padfoot, take a look at this. Li'l old Sia has been made the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain."

Sia's face was impassive, before breaking out into a huge grin. Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain had a nice ring to it. And the badge was pretty fantastic.

"Watch out, boys. The Quidditch Cup is ours this year," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at them.

Sirius barked out a laugh while Remus looked very amused. James looked slightly crestfallen at her confident declaration.

"Hold on there, Sia. I need to look good in front of Evans. You becoming Captain won't change the fact that we'll be winning every match, right? You wouldn't do that to me," he said, ruffling his hair nervously.

Remus and Sirius snorted at this, and went back to their game. Sia looked at James thoughtfully for a minute before tilting her head to the side.

"You don't get it, do you James?"

He looked confused. "Are you serious about Lily? I mean, do you actually fancy her or is this some sort of amusing hobby of yours?"

James looked startled for a minute before looking away and running his hand through his hair again.

"I'm mad about her, Sia. Ever since 4th year. She's so smart and funny and confident and Merlin! So gorgeous as well," he sighed.

"You realize that behaving like an obsessive stalker is not doing you any favors, yeah?" His mouth fell open but she continued before he could interrupt. "To her, you are an arrogant, entitled, possessive, chauvinistic arse. Doesn't sound too good, eh?"

He shook his head meekly, not really knowing how to react.

"Which is unfortunate. Because you aren't any of those things. Except maybe the arrogant arse bit," she added with a grin. "But the point is, you have no chance of even being her friend, let alone anything more, if you continue behaving like this."

"I- I don't know. Whenever I see her, I just do these ridiculous things. It's like she brings out the worst in me," he said with a defeated look.

Sia chuckled. "No. I just think you're always trying to get her attention. But in the worst way possible." He still looked pretty dejected, so she ruffled his hair affectionately. "Why don't you try to be a normal human being around her? You don't really know her that well. Take this chance to get to know her, and give her a chance to give you a chance. And then, if you still fancy her, then I'd say go for it. But at least give yourself a fair chance."

She left James sitting thoughtfully, and wandered inside to get a glimpse of the game before she went back to work.

…

"Woah…"

Sirius was gob smacked. He had never before seen an actual Muggle motor bike in his life. And it was a beauty. Sleek black leather seat, comfy side-car and a rather sexy outer polish.

"I think I'm in love."

Sia snorted next to him. He had come over to her Aunt's place to tell her that they were going to visit Remus at his house and ask whether she wanted to accompany them. Instead, he had been mesmerized by her uncle's brand new motorbike, while she stood around feeling stupid.

"I'm sure you two will have beautiful children but shouldn't we be going to Remus' place now?"

"In a moment. I just want to…" He continued to gaze at the bike with a very bizarre, love-struck expression until her uncle came out to see why she was taking so long.

"Misha, what's going on?" He stopped when he spotted Sirius. "Who's your friend?"

"Sirius Black. He's staying with the Potters. We're in the same year but he's in Gryffindor."

"I see. Well, Sirius, I see that you've got good taste. I've just brought her back from the showroom today," her uncle replied with a genial smile.

"She's beautiful," said Sirius, with the same dreamy voice.

"Do you want to take her for a spin?" Sia's eyes widened in shock as she turned towards her uncle.

"Uncle Mike, he doesn't know how to ride a bike! Don't give him any ideas!"

"Well, why don't you take him, Misha?" he said, in a matter of fact way.

"Yeah. Why don't you, _Misha_?" said Sirius, smirking at her slightly.

"Alright. But I get to choose where we're going and when we'll be back," she replied with a huff.

"Absolutely, Misha," grinned Sirius.

Once they were both on the bike with helmets on, she turned back and glared at him.

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"Not until you tell me why that's your nickname," he smirked.

"Arse."

"Come on. Times a' wasting, Misha," he continued nonchalantly.

"When I was little, I couldn't pronounce my entire name. Instead of Artemisia, I used to say Artmisha," she mumbled through gritted teeth.

"That's cute."

"Sod off."

"Whatever you say, Misha," he said with a wink.

"UGH!"

Revving up the bike, she blasted off down the road, not really caring about where they went. Although, a small smirk did line her features when she felt Sirius grab onto her waist for balance. She'd show him what it was like to mess with her.

At the end of an hour, Sirius was dazed, breathless and thoroughly exhilarated. Sia had maneuvered the bike expertly, with the same precision as she did with a broom. He had initially been taken aback by the speed, but soon cherished the wind coursing through his long hair. This was probably one of the most amazing experiences in his entire life.

"Thanks for that, _Misha_ ," he said, grinning as Sia glared at him.

"Wanker."

…

Sirius came by almost every day after that. He would sit and stare at the bike, and sigh occasionally with dramatic flourish. Her uncle seemed to find this very endearing, but Sia just found it annoying. Normally, she would just ignore him and go off to work at Charlie's, but today she just couldn't manage it. She was painting a rather complicated fence in her aunt's back garden. She needed to get the gold accents absolutely right and his annoying sighs were starting to get annoyingly distracting.

Glaring at him, she picked up the paintbrush and flicked some of the unused red paint at him. His head flicked towards her and he stared at her like she had grown three heads. However, his Marauder glint was soon back and with a wave of his wand, two thick blobs of paint had been smeared onto Sia's cheeks. She probably looked ridiculous because he had doubled over in laughter. Something stirred in her and she walked towards him quickly, trapping him between herself and the wall.

"Looking good there, Misha," he said with a smirk.

Her eyes were unwavering as she slowly leaned towards him. Sirius tensed for a second, as he began to get whiffs of her shampoo. Ever so slowly, she brushed her right cheek against his, rubbing the paint onto him and then doing the same with the left. Her nose rubbed against his and a shiver ran down his spine. He was stuck to the wall, as she continued to assault his senses.

Gradually, she looked up into his eyes, their noses still touching. Sirius drew in a sharp breath as he stared directly into her dark brown, enchanting eyes. This slight movement caused the tips of their lips to collide. He could swear that he saw her eyes darken and he wondered if his eyes had done the same.

Sia could see his eyes change from a silvery mist to a dark stormy grey. She slowly pressed her mouth onto his, waiting for him to pull away. He didn't and that's all she needed to know. As if letting out all her pent up frustration, she slowly kissed him, sucking on his upper lip and then moving on to the lower one.

Sirius felt like he was on fire. This girl was driving him mad. The maddening pace of her intoxicating kisses was only rivaled by her citrusy smell that pervaded his senses. He decided that he wasn't going to be the only one to suffer and matched her movements, sucking on her lips with unbelievable patience.

With one final kiss, she pulled away, her eyes closed and breathing heavy. He was sure that he looked pretty flushed himself. When she finally looked at him, the corner of her lip lifted before she burst into peels of laughter.

He stood bewildered for a minute, before joining in with her infectious laugh.

"This-this is so not happening," she said, gesturing between the two of them as a fresh bout of laughter overtook her

"I know. We are terrible for each other. It would never work out," he agreed, clutching his sides and laughing.

It was good to know that they shared the same sentiment. Otherwise this might have become a potentially problematic situation.

"Let's keep this our little secret," she said, winking at him.

…

* * *

 **Please review!** **Cheers.**


	11. The Drop

**A/N Hey! So here's the next chapter. One of my reviewers from the previous chapter pointed out that Sirius was cheating on Dorcas with Sia. So I went back and checked and realised that I hadn't specified a few details. Hopefully this chapter will clear those doubts.**

 **Additionally, I have a question for all of you. I'm compiling my ideal cast for this story. But I'm confused about who should be cast as Sia. I'd love your suggestions! Please let me know in the comments.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The train had just left the station. Sia had a few minutes before the Prefects' meeting started and she knew what to do with that time. She took in a deep breath and started surveying all the compartments. She finally found one with a couple of Gryffindor girls and three Hufflepuffs.

"Can I speak to you?" she asked.

Dorcas looked up in surprise to see her friend standing at the door to her compartment. She was frowning and there was a tired look in her eyes.

"Sia! Yeah! Of course! I'll just be back," she told the rest of the people in her compartment.

"I, uhm, wanted to apologise for Easter break. I overreacted and behaved really badly with you even after I found out about everything," she said, looking away from her friend and tucking her black hair behind her ear. "I know you and Black weren't dating or anything. And even if you were, I had no right to get mad at you. I'm really sorry."

Sia stumbled backwards as Dorcas hugged her tightly. Her friend looked happier than she had in days and it made her feel slightly guilty that maybe it was because of her that she hadn't been her usual bubbly self.

"Oh Sia, I'm so glad you're talking to me again! I was so worried after everything that had happened. I know how you feel about Black. I swear I wasn't dating him or anything. He's been taking help from me for Herbology for a while now, and we just snogged that one time. It was stupid and in the heat of the moment. He's too damn attractive and UGH I felt so terrible afterwards. He's not a bad guy, Sia, but I would never choose him over you!"

"Relax, Dorcas! I'm not mad at you and I don't think he's a terrible guy either," she said, laughing slightly.

"Oh. You don't? Why ever not?" asked her friend with a sly smile.

"I'll tell you only if you tell me about your snogging details," she replied with a grin. Dorcas laughed and hugged her friend.

"I missed you, Sia."

"I missed you too."

"How were your OWLs?" asked Dorcas, once she had let go.

"Not too bad."

"All O's?"

"As if you didn't get the same?" asked Sia, in mock offence.

"E in Astronomy. We can't all be Ravenclaws, yeah?" she said with a wink.

…

"How was France, Beedz?"

"Oh, you know, berets, baguettes and Bourbon. Nothing unusual," replied the blonde, pulling the covers over herself.

"Really? Because I heard something completely different."

Bedelia frowned and looked at Sia. Her friend had a rather large grin on her face and the other two seemed to be glinting too much.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, nonchalantly.

"Did you or did you not snog a French boy outside a muggle restaurant?" asked Sia.

Bedelia sat bolt upright, her glasses nearly falling off her face.

"W-wha! Where did you – How did you know?" she spluttered, her face growing redder and redder.

"I have my sources," said Sia, smugly. "My sources also tell me that his name was Phillipe. Now unless you want my sources to dig in deeper, you'd best tell us all about it."

"And don't skip any visual details," said Rowena.

"But maybe the audio," said Anna firmly.

"Fine," huffed Bedelia, falling back into her bed.

…

"So, were we helpful?" asked James, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth.

"Very. She spilled immediately," grinned Sia.

"THIS is your source?" screeched Bedelia. "Potter? How'd you even know about me?"

"Easy, Dupont. Prongs and I were in France for a week. Happened to see you getting cozy with the guy in the pretentious hat."

"Black? You were there too? UGH! I hate my life! And it was a _beret_ he was wearing, okay?" she said, sitting down angrily next to Sia.

"Not pretentious at all, Beedz," snorted Rowena, who was sitting next to Eve and Remus.

"What's this? Seems like quite a party. Didn't know we were having guests over," said Lily, grinning at the different colors at the Gryffindor table. Indeed, there were. There were at least four Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs.

"Alright, Evans?" James asked, although it lacked his usual arrogance. He seemed almost hesitant. Apparently Lily had noticed this as well as she stared at him for a moment before nodding her head unsurely.

"Well that's good then. Umm," he looked away, slightly awkward and Black rolled his eyes at his friend's behavior.

"Prongs, you were going to tell the less privileged about the new Head Boy and Girl. What're they like? Feel free to chip in as well, Moony," he said, glancing pointedly at his friends.

"Right. Well you know that Caradoc Dearborn from Ravenclaw is Head Boy and Alina Joshi from Slytherin is Head Girl. Doc's a pretty decent bloke, right Moony?" asked James.

"Yes. I've spoken to him a few times during Prefect meetings," replied Remus, biting into an apple.

"Dunno anything about the Head Girl though. I had no idea that Dumbledore would appoint a Slytherin," said James, frowning slightly.

"I can tell you why," said Rowena, catching everyone's attention. "Joshi is half Indian. Her dad comes from a long line of special wizards located in South India. But he basically bolted after he came of age and relocated to London where he met a Scottish muggleborn witch. They fell in love and got married. Alina is their daughter and not a very popular Slytherin because of her mixed blood and heritage. However, her family is very rich and she is one of the top students in her class. She's probably going to get one of the top positions in the Ministry in the future."

"Wow."

"That's not going to end well," said Bedelia.

"Tell me about it," murmured Black, but Bedelia only glared at him.

"Anyway," said Lily, trying to break the tension, "What subjects has everyone taken?"

"Come on, Evans. Classes don't begin till tomorrow and you've already started talking about lessons," said Black, rolling his eyes.

"Fine. I don't need to know your classes anyway," huffed Lily.

"Lils and I have the same classes," said Marlene. "Potions, Charms, DADA, Transfiguration, Herbology and Arithmancy."

"Pretty much the same for me. Except I've got Ancient Runes instead of Herbology," said Sia.

"I've got the big four, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy," said Rowena.

"Remus and I have the same schedule as Sia except that instead of Arithmancy, we've got History of Magic," piped up Eve, flashing Remus a bright smile.

"Padfoot and I have the big four," James paused and winked at Rowena, "Arithmancy and Astronomy."

"Peter?" asked Rowena, looking at the blond boy currently stuffing his face with cheese. He choked while trying to say something and Remus ended up administering to him.

"He has Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, Potions and Astronomy," supplied Black, rolling his eyes.

"I think I have the same classes as Rowena," said Dorcas uncertainly.

"And I have the same classes Lily and Marlene," said Anna. They all turned and looked at Bedelia expectantly.

"Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic," she said, rolling up The Daily Prophet.

"You're nuts, Dupont. Who takes seven NEWTs when you can get away with five?" asked James incredulously.

"I can do whatever I want, thank you very much Potter," said Bedelia, before sashaying her way out of the hall.

"Wow, Prongs. First day back and you've already got an earful from a girl," grinned Black.

"And it wasn't me," murmured Lily in confusion.

…

Sixth year had started in full swing. Classes were very interesting but Sia missed having her friends in all of them. Though she was glad to have them in most of her classes. Something that was bothering her was Remus. He had a strained look about him and it wasn't just around the full moon. She wondered if there was anything wrong at home.

"James? Is Remus alright?" she asked the bespectacled boy after Arithmancy one day.

"Not that I know off. Why do you ask?"

"He seems worried? Tensed? Strained? I can't really put my finger on it," said Sia, uncertainly.

"Padfoot!" shouted James, gaining the attention of his friend. Black walked over to them and looked at him questioningly. "Is something off with Moony?"

Black's eyes flickered for a moment before he shrugged and flipped his hair out of his face. "Don't think so. Seems fine. Although the full moon is coming up. Maybe that's why?"

"See? I don't think anything is wrong with him, Sia. You're not used to knowing about the full moon issue. Maybe that's why you're suddenly noticing it," said James, giving her a reassuring smile. "Anyway, we'll see you at dinner."

Sia wasn't so sure about it. Black hadn't been emphatic in his denial. She knew something was up. It was possible that James didn't know because he had started holding Quidditch trials. Speaking of which, she needed to hold tryouts herself. Nigel and Henry Jordan had both graduated. Which meant that she needed two new Chasers.

"Hey Eve!" she called out hoping that her voice would give them enough time to separate if they had been joined at the lips or elsewhere. Luckily Remus wasn't there. She was sitting with a tall Hufflepuff from the year above – Jill Waters.

"Hey Sia! Come and sit down. Do you know Jill?" Eve said, smiling at the dark haired girl.

"Yeah, I've seen her around. Nice to meet you," she said, giving Jill a small smile. "I'm holding tryouts on Saturday. Just letting you know before I put it up on the notice board. And I've scheduled a meeting on Friday evening. We need to discuss our drills. Especially yours, Andrew's and Sam's."

Eve nodded and returned to her conversation with Jill. Sia needed to find Andrew. She would need his help to chart the preparations. He liked doing these things. Plus, she hadn't really spoken to him since term had started. They only shared three classes together.

She found him in the common room, reading a rather large book. His short hair had grown a bit, curling near the end. It made him look a little ridiculous and she couldn't help chuckling.

"What's so funny? Did you accidentally inhale Alihosty fumes?" he asked, grinning at her.

"For your information, I don't take Herbology anymore. Got rid of that blasted subject after 5 years of pain," she sighed dramatically and plopped down into the seat beside him.

"Thank Merlin! At least the plants are saved from your torture!"

"Shove off!" she said, pushing him half-heartedly. "Actually, don't. I need help planning tryouts. Why didn't they just make Sam captain? He's in seventh year after all."

"Sam's a great Beater but he's pretty thick otherwise. I'd know, having to coordinate with him for the past three years."

"Well, you and Eve are also in sixth. I don't see why I got this extra responsibility."

"I'm only going to say it once, so listen carefully. You're a really good leader, Sia. Plus you're calm and firm. Qualities Evelyn and I don't possess. So, I don't think it was surprising that Flitwick made you captain," he said, shrugging.

"Aw. That's so sweet, Andrew. I could almost see the honey dripping from your words," teased Sia, pulling his left cheek.

"Hey! Bugger off! This is why I never say anything to you guys. Bloody, over-affectionate females," he said, flicking her hand in mock disgust.

"Sure, sure. Now let's get down to work," said Sia, taking out a piece of parchment and her wand.

…

"Alright! Welcome to the Ravenclaw Quidditch tryouts! I'm your Captain and Seeker, Artemisia Adams. This is our Keeper, Evelyn Diggle; Beaters, Andrew Knightley and Samuel Davies; and Chaser, Liam Isaacs," she paused, while the students murmured and surveyed the team. "So, we have two spots open this year. And both are for Chasers. So after your basic flying drills, we've arranged three levels of trial for all of you. First off, you will go one-on-one with our Keeper. You will each get five shots and only those who score three times or more will progress to the second round. Once you progress to the second round, we will pit you against an opponent. Samuel will be ready with the Bludger while Liam will play as the opposition Chaser. You need to dodge them both and try and score. Five tries, and a three out of five requirement again. After that, comes the final and most crucial part. Samuel and Andrew will both be aiming Bludgers at you, but you will need to work with Liam this time and try and score a goal. Three tries and you need at least two to go through."

Once she had completed her speech, a lot of uncertain looks met her eyes. There were a bunch of second years, a couple of third and fourth years and one solitary fifth year. She nodded towards Eve to indicate the start of tryouts.

"Alright everyone! Good luck!"

The first round was pretty predictable. The second years were basically fooling around and only one managed to get through. Two of the fourth years, a third year and the fifth year made it through as well.

The second round was more interesting and Sia found herself impressed by all the players. They were all good flyers, even the small second year boy. But he couldn't handle the power of Liam and Sam, and only managed to score one goal. He looked pretty dejected and went and sat with the rest of his friends. By the end of this round, there were three people left. A third year boy, a fourth year boy and the fifth year girl.

The third year went up first. His black brown was windswept and his dark eyes twinkled in excitement. He grabbed the Quaffle and flew into the air. He was slightly built and extremely quick in the air. Sam sent a Bludger towards him and he ducked it easily. He and Liam were able to communicate quite well, and soon the boy had scored a goal. He looked quite pleased and flushed when the people on the bench cheered for him. Eve was able to block his second shot but he managed to somehow sneak in the third past her.

Up next was the fourth year. He was tall and broad shouldered, with light brown curls and a knowing smirk on his face. Sia pursed her lips. She shouldn't be judging anyone by appearances but his body language wasn't giving her a good feeling.

He was brilliant. He managed to dodge the Bludgers and even knocked his shoulder into Andrew while flying towards the goal hoops. He only collaborated with Liam on one of the goals, but managed to get all three past Eve. She looked a bit put out, but Andrew and Sam gave her a thumbs up and she nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Last up was the fifth year girl. She was tall and thin. Her curly auburn hair was pulled into a bun and she looked a little hesitant. Sia hoped that she wasn't nervous because she was a girl trying out. She flew well, her control on the broom was steady but she missed her first shot as Andrew sent a Bludger in her direction. The second time, she was able to coordinate with Liam and barely managed to get the Quaffle through the left hoop. For the final shot, she flew towards the goal hoops, narrowly avoiding Sam's Bludger, but just as she got ready to shoot, Andrew sent a Bludger towards her just like her first shot. However, she quickly passed the Quaffle to Liam, who was on the side farthest from Eve, and quickly ducked the Bludger. It was quick play and Liam instinctively took the shoot, scoring an easy goal through the uncovered hoop.

There was a slightly dampened applause as everyone was unsure if that last goal counted. Sia gestured for everyone to gather in front of her and called the three finalists in front.

"The first spot for Chaser will be filled by Jonathan Pike."

The tall fourth year moved towards the team with a smug smile on his face.

"The second and final spot goes to Elizabeth Ryan," she said, nodding at the fifth year. She looked quite shocked but moved towards the team anyway.

"Thank you all! This was a wonderful afternoon of Quidditch!"

"Rogers, stay back for a bit," she said, motioning towards the dejected third year.

Eve helped get everyone off the field while Sam and Liam put back the equipment. Andrew took the new team members to show them the locker room.

"I know you're disappointed, Kevin," she said, looking at him straight in the eye. The younger boy didn't say anything, not sure how to react to a Prefect and the Captain of the team. "You were really good out there. But I don't think this is your ideal position. I'll be graduating in a couple of years. And if you try out then, I'm sure you'll make a brilliant Seeker."

His face lit up and he smiled widely at her.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I could've picked you today. But you're very young. I don't want to mould you into a position which won't bring out your best. Keep practicing as Seeker. You're perfect for that," she said with a warm smile.

"Thanks a lot, Captain," he beamed at her.

"No. Please don't call me that. I'm Sia," she said, scrunching up her nose and laughing.

The boy grinned and ran off to tell his friends the news.

That night, before starting her patrol, Sia bumped into a rather nervous Peter Pettigrew. He looked more anxious than usual and it was rather odd to see him without any of the other Marauders.

"Alright there?" she asked. The boy gave a start but nodded his head slowly. It was then that it struck her. She had never asked Pettigrew about Remus. He might know. Remus was the one who looked out for him the most. Maybe he had said something to his friend.

"Hey, hold on for a second. I just wanted to ask you something," she said, giving him a reassuring nod. "Do you know if something is going on with Remus? He seems unusually quiet and his face looks very strained. James and Black said that there's nothing wrong but I'm still worried."

His watery blue eyes widened and he opened his mouth before snapping it shut.

"What is it, Peter? Is Remus in some sort of trouble?" she asked urgently.

"No. I, uh, I'm not entirely sure. But I think it has something to do with Diggle," he said, uncertainly, looking very guilty for having said this much.

Diggle? What could be wrong with Eve that Remus was in trouble? They seemed to perfectly alright. Eve was happy and doing everything normally. It didn't look like they had fought or anything. What the hell was going on? Did someone find out about Remus' condition? Where they blackmailing him? But how was Eve involved?

With many wild and unlikely theories circling her head that night, Sia went to bed, determined to talk to either of them the next day.

…

* * *

 **Next chapter will hopefully be up tonight. Thank you to everyone who has started reviewing the story. I'm so happy to get some form of feedback xoxo**

 **Cheers!**


	12. The Ripple

**A/N Hey everyone! New chapter! I hope you guys like it!** **I've decided to tease you guys with the cast. I'll announce one ideal casting with every chapter. We'll go alphabetically.**

 **First up, Andrew Knightley will be played by Hugh Dancy [Will Graham from _Hannibal_ ] Feel free to google all of them! :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Hey Eve! Where's Remus?" asked Sia, sitting down next to her in Charms. The brunette looked up from her work and gave Sia a small smile.

"He's sick. Madam Pomfrey said he should stay in the Hospital Wing today."

"Ah. Alright," said Sia, dropping the subject. She had forgotten that it was a full moon that night. Apparently Eve still didn't know anything about his condition.

"Don't you think it's weird?" asked Eve, turning to face her. Sia was dreading exactly this moment when Eve would get suspicious about Remus' monthly absences.

"What is?"

"Remus. How he has to go to the Hospital Wing so often," she said, trailing off slightly.

"It can't be easy on the guy. Poor health is a tough burden. I'd know. I guess it's just rotten luck," said Sia, trying to wave off the matter without completely dismissing Eve's concern. Just then, James and Black sat down behind them.

"What's rotten luck? The fact that we have such a fabulous Quidditch team?" asked James, grinning at them.

Eve gave them both small smiles, not sure of what to say. She did hang out with them sometimes, since she was dating their best friend. But she still didn't really know how to talk to Potter and Black on their own.

"Eve was talking about Remus being sick again. Can't be pleasant for the guy," said Sia, giving them both meaningful looks outside of Eve's line of vision. They immediately caught on and began reassuring the petite girl.

"Don't worry about Moony, Diggle. He's got a rotten immune system but it's nothing that ol' Poppy can't fix," said James, giving her a bright smile.

"That's right. He's been like this his entire life. Nothing to stress about," said Black, shaking his head unconcernedly.

Eve nodded her head and went back to her book. The three of them exchanged looks and focused on the lesson as Flitwick entered the class. They began with the Aguamenti charm, going over the basic theory and then looking into the possible malfunctions of irregular wand movement.

After class, Sia was walking out when she felt something grab her hand and tug her behind a suit of armor.

"Black?" she asked, extremely confused. He looked around to see whether anyone was nearby and after confirming that there wasn't, he turned to her with a determined look in his eyes.

"I need to have a word with you," he said in a low voice.

"Here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. They were in a rather awkward position and this could easily be mistaken for something it was not.

"Yes. This isn't something that I can discuss in front of the others," he said.

"Are you having trouble with the ladies?" she asked, trying to hide her smirk.

"What? No!"

"Hair fall? I knew it!"

"N-no! Will you stop–"

"Ah! So you need help on the pitch. I can see why you couldn't go to James with this problem," she mused, giving him a mock thoughtful expression.

"Can you just listen to me–"

"Damn. Something else? Don't tell me, Peter finished your illegal stash of Firewhiskey!"

"Now look here, _Misha_. Just shut up and listen to what I have to say," he said, moving closer and smirking when she frowned at his use of her nickname. "Good. Now, there are two things which I need to talk to you about. First is Moony. I think something is going on between him and Diggle. And I know you got Peter to spill about that. So can you talk to her and see what's up? The second thing is Prongs. He's been acting very weirdly around Evans. Even she's a little freaked out by it. I think he's quite depressed about their situation. Reckon he thought he had a proper shot. I want you to help me set them up on a date of sorts, so she gets to know him. My Prongsy is a standup guy. I can't have Evans rejecting him before even knowing whom she's rejecting. I know they're both your friends and this might work out for them both. So what do you say?" he finished, looking at her expectantly.

"Okay. But only on one condition," she said.

"Yeah. Anything!"

"Let go of my hand."

He looked down to where she was pointing. He hadn't let go of her hand after pulling her behind the suit of armor. In fact, his grip had tightened and moved down to hold her palm. As soon as he realized this, he dropped her hand like a bunch of hot coals.

"Er, sorry about that," he said, looking slightly at a loss for words. She just raised one eyebrow questioningly and walked off to her next class.

…

Remus was back on his feet a couple of days later. He had a few new scars but looked happy to be back nonetheless. Although, things didn't seem hunky dory between him and Eve. Sia could sense a very slight change in behavior – a relatively stiff smile or an uncharacteristically harsh tone.

She thought that she would talk to Eve about her and Remus but something was stopping her. Ever since their discussion in Charms class a few days ago, Eve hadn't been frequenting the common room. They didn't share a dorm so Sia couldn't even catch her before bed. In fact, it rather seemed like her friend was trying to avoid her. And then, a very strange thing happened.

"I swear you've grown over the summer," said Rowena, buttering a piece of toast during breakfast. Sia scrunched up her nose and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm telling you, Sia, at least an inch. If you stand next to Andrew, you'll be the same height as him."

"I really doubt that, Ro," said Sia, deadpanning.

"Andrew, please do us the honor," said Rowena, nudging her friend with a fork.

"You guys are crazy," he said, rolling his eyes and standing up. He grabbed Sia's elbow and pulled her up as well, grinning when she frowned at him.

"Why are we doing this exactly?" asked Sia, clearly annoyed.

"I'm proving a point and you guys are accessory to my point-proving," said Rowena, contemplating her friends. "What do you think? Beeds? Anna?"

"Woah. Sia, you and Andrew are the same height," said Anna, her eyes widening. "In fact, you might even be taller."

"She's taller," said Bedelia, narrowing her eyes and nodding her head.

"Wonderful. Can I eat now?" asked Andrew, piling some bacon into his plate.

"That was extraordinarily unnecessary," hissed Sia, glaring at Rowena. Her friend just giggled and shrugged her shoulders.

Just then, Dorcas came over and sat down beside them. She had recently cut her hair and looked rather beautiful with the slight fringe.

"Ever considered modeling, Dorcas?" asked Rowena with a smirk.

Dorcas blushed and shook her head. "Rowena, you say the most insane things. Plus I'm nowhere near tall enough to even think about it," she said, with a mock sigh.

"Don't worry, Dorcas. Height isn't everything. You are the most gorgeous girl in our year. I'm sure you'd stand out way more than some girl who was tall," said Eve, smiling at her.

Dorcas laughed at this and thanked her for the compliment but nobody else said much else. Anna had a slight frown on her face, as she half-heartedly continued slicing her omelet. Bedelia raised her eyebrows and was about to open her mouth but Rowena nudged her in the ribs to keep quiet. Sia felt like a bucket of ice water had just been poured over her head. Eve hadn't mentioned any names or pointed any fingers, but Sia knew that she was talking about her, deriding her and belittling her. And for what? _Being tall?_

Something changed that day. Sia couldn't help but begin to notice the changes in her friend's behavior. She never said anything explicitly but Sia could feel aggression radiating from Eve's body and tone. Her mellow and sweet-natured friend had suddenly turned into a condescending, self-righteous prick. Even Quidditch practice was starting to get affected. It was then that Sia decided to speak to Remus.

"'lo there, RJ," she grinned, referring to how he normally signed his letters. _R. J. Lupin_.

"Sia," he said, grinning at her. "What brings you to this part of the castle?"

"Homework," she said, pointing at her bag of books. He shifted his chair so that she could sit beside him. She pulled out her Transfiguration essay and began scribbling the basics of Human Transfiguration. It wasn't long before her concentration dwindled.

"Remus? Is everything okay?" she asked, getting straight to the point. The sandy-haired boy seemed a little surprised by this question and looked at her confusedly.

"Something's off. First I thought it was just you but know Eve's been acting oddly as well. Is everything okay with the two of you?" she asked.

"Oh, uh," Remus flushed and fumbled with the book in front of him. "Well, umm, I…"

"You can tell me if you want. I'm Eve's friend as well, so maybe I can help you out with whatever is bothering you both."

"Things, er, things haven't been great recently. She doesn't know about my condition and I'm finding it very difficult to keep it from her. I know what you're going to say, why don't I consider telling her. Well, at the risk of sounding like an incredible tosspot, I don't really want to."

Sia's eyebrows creased as she tried to understand what her friend was saying.

"I like her. I really do. But, she's… well, she's… she's very public about everything. And I find it very difficult to continually have to exhibit very action. It's very tiring. I know I'm being very cavalier about this but I'd rather not go through this every day."

"So, what are you saying? Do you want to break it off with her?" asked Sia softly.

"I don't know," he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'm not sure of what I should do. I don't like lying to her but I just don't see myself telling her about it either. I'm just so tired. Maybe I'm not cut out for relationships. It's too much work. I think I'm better off with a few good books."

Sia felt a rush of affection for her friend at that point. He looked defeated and weary. Nothing like what a sixteen year old should be. She leaned forward and hugged him tightly. He sighed and put his arms around her as well. If nothing else, it was always nice to get a hug from someone who made you feel comfortable.

"So that's how it is, is it?"

They pulled away from each other to see Eve standing a few feet away. She must have come into the library a little while after their conversation had started. She didn't look pleasant at all.

"Eve?"

"Shut up," she said, sneering at Sia. "I should've known it was you. Something was going on. I thought maybe you knew what was happening. But it turns out that you were the one behind it all."

"Wait. What? Eve, you-"

"Save it, Remus. You've been cheating on me with this slut. I don't want to have anything more to do with you," she spat.

"You've got it all wrong, Eve. Will you just listen to me?" said Sia desperately.

"Why? So that you can spin more lies? You're such a bitch!"

…

Anna was just about to fall asleep on the couch when she heard someone enter the common room. She saw Sia, looking pale and extremely unhappy.

"Sia?"

"Anna, you won't believe what just happened!" she said, visibly upset.

Anna sat beside her friend as she recounted the bizarre incident at the library. She was surprised to hear about what Lupin had said but the real shock was Eve's reaction. Why had their friend jumped to such a conclusion? It was very unlike her. She gently patted Sia's head whose eyes had started welling up. Sia didn't cry often. In fact, there was only one previous time she could recall Sia crying. It was in first year during Herbology. The Devil's Snare had really unsettled her and she had burst into tears later that night.

"Hey, let's go back to the dorm," she said, getting up slowly.

Once they were back, Rowena and Bedelia were dumbstruck by the events. They both sat beside Sia as well, patting and stroking her head as she continued crying.

"She c-called me a slut! Me? I was d-dumped because I wasn't giving Julian the action he wanted! How could he?" she cried, clutching her pillow tightly.

And slowly it all came out. The three girls listened in horror as Sia wept and recounted how terrible she had felt when Julian Grey had been emotionally blackmailing her to take their relationship a step further. He had tried to control various aspects of her life, including the clothes she wore, the people she talked to and the books she read. At one point, he had completely ignored her existence, passing by her in the corridor without even a second glance in her direction. Sia didn't know what she had done wrong. She had never fathomed that this could have anything to do with their physical relationship. Then one fine day he had stopped ignoring her and dumped her, citing NEWT exams and Quidditch training as a reason. The worst part was when she recounted the terrible conversation she had overheard during the Easter break last term.

By the time she had calmed down, her friends were livid. Rowena had a hard expression on her face, Bedelia had her arms crossed tightly and Anna sat tightlipped and stiff.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to suddenly break down like this. It's just, Eve has been behaving really horribly with me recently and today just made everything worse," she said, sniffing and wiping her nose with a handkerchief.

"That bastard!" growled Rowena.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Sia. I can't believe you've kept this bottled up inside you for so many months," said Bedelia, frowning.

"I'm so sorry you've had to go through all this, Sia. I can't begin to imagine how you've been feeling," said Anna, bitterness seeping into her voice.

"Sia, you're an idiot. If you had told one of us, we'd have shown him not to mess around with someone like that," said Rowena. "Although, judging from your story, you did manage to leave an impact."

All four of them burst out laughing at that. Sia smiled through her runny nose and red eyes, describing the shock and humiliation on Julian's face and how beautifully her knuckles had looked with all the blood smeared on them.

Sleep came late that night, but it was a lot more peaceful and soothing.

…

* * *

 **How do you like it? Any suggestions? Please review!**

 **Cheers!**


	13. The Pink Panther Strikes Again

**A/N Sorry for being late. My laptop has been giving me trouble and I'm finding it very difficult to write on the PC :( Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

 **And as promised, my next casting is Anna Carlisle played by Rachel McAdams.**

* * *

Lily was late for Herbology. She was never late for any class. But somehow, sitting in the library in the cool darkness of the Potions section, she had drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, she barely had five minutes before class started.

She rounded a corner and ran smack into someone. Her book bag split when she hit the floor, leaving a mess of parchment of broken inkbottles beside her. She cursed her bad luck and attempted to clear the mess. The person she had bumped into had the same idea and it was only when she saw the familiar wristwatch that she realized it was him.

He didn't say anything, but quickly collected the pieces of parchment and got rid off the spilled ink. Lily stayed quiet as well and repaired her bag, while putting back the things that he handed to her. Once all the things had been cleared, he gave her an uncertain nod and made to walk off.

"Potter!" she yelled, making him turn around in surprise. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask, Evans?" he said, unconsciously running his fingers through his hair. Predictably, it became even messier than usual, sticking up at odd angles.

"I don't know. You seem a little off. Anyway," she said, quickly picking up her bag, "I'm late for Herbology. Thanks for your help."

That night at dinner, Lily watched Potter thoughtfully. He had been behaving rather oddly. Ever since the beginning of term. He wasn't bothering her or trying to ask her out every other minute, and that was a relief. But somehow, his behavior felt odd and slightly strained. It didn't suit Potter. He was always full of life, running around harassing people with pranks and tricks, living life to the fullest with Black and Remus.

"Remus!"

The sandy haired boy was surprised to see Lily running up to him. She was a little out of breath and it took a while for him to understand what she was saying.

"I was wondering if there was something wrong with Potter. He hasn't been himself lately," she said, unsure of how to express herself.

Remus seemed to catch onto exactly what she meant and nodded his head. "I know. Sirius and I have noticed it as well. We're not really sure what's up but I'm sure it's nothing serious," he said with a small smile.

"Right. Umm, sorry to suddenly spring this on you. I didn't even ask you how you're doing after the break up," she said, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm fine, Lily. I think we know each other well enough to be past these formalities," he said with a laugh.

"Alright. But I feel like I haven't spoken to you properly in ages. The new patrol system doesn't leave me with any spare time. Do you think we could go to Tombs and Scrolls this Hogsmeade trip? I need to look for a book and it'd give us a chance to catch up," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Sure. I'd love to. Let's meet at the entrance at eleven?"

"Perfect. And Remus?" she asked hesitantly. "Please don't tell Potter anything about what I asked."

"Don't worry, Lily," he reassured her.

But he did tell Sirius. And Sirius knew it was time for him to intervene. There was no way he was going to let Prongs wile away in whatever this was. And Evans seemed concerned. Which was probably a good sign. There was no better time than this to put his plan into action. However, he still needed to convince Adams to help him out. Bugger. She'd never agree to this.

* * *

Sia had turned to weight-training exercises early in the morning. It was a brilliant way to work off her anger and stress. Plus, it would ultimately help her Quidditch as well. She usually started off with a quick run and warm-up. Today however, she seemed to have company.

After trying to ignore his presence for a good fifteen minutes and failing to shake him off, Sia stopped abruptly and faced him.

"Alright, what do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Good morning to you too," he said, smirking at her. His grey eyes were sparkling with mischief and he casually flipped his hair out of his face.

"Good morning, Black. And to what do I owe this _pleasure_?" she said, using air quotes to emphasize the sarcasm.

"I just wanted some fresh air, is all. Can't help it if I get your delightful company as an added bonus," he said, winking at her.

She snorted and wiped her forehead with a towel. "No, seriously. What do you want?"

"If you must know, I've come to discuss the Prongs-Evans situation with you," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Umm, what?"

"Ugh! Adams, don't tell me you've forgotten already! I explained it all to you after Charms that day!" he sighed in frustration.

"Oh right! The time when you couldn't let go of my hand," she said, teasing him.

"Oh, so you do remember? Missing my touch, are we Adams?" he asked, smirking. Something in the air shifted and an awkwardness settled between them. Black cleared his throat and Sia tucked her hair behind her ear, as the meaning behind Black's words seemed to register for both of them.

"So, do you have a plan? Or am I supposed to do all the work?" she asked, trying to change the tone of the conversation.

"Of course, I've got a plan. You insult my Marauder instincts!" he said, dramatically.

"Right. Let's here it then," she said, as he excitedly told her the details of his rather elaborate and loophole filled plot.

"I refuse."

"Oh come on, Adams!" he whined.

"It's a ridiculous plan. Which could result in us all getting expelled, not to mention mortal injuries incurred through the wrath of some very questionable creatures."

"It's a brilliant plan. Don't be a Hufflepuff," he said, rolling his eyes.

"That is the worst analogy I have ever heard. And no. It is a terrible plan."

"Then what? We just let Prongs wilt away in depression?" he asked, sardonically.

"Of course not. Give me a little credit. I have an idea. But we'll need a bit of help."

During lunch that day, the Marauders, minus James, had led Sia to the ground floor, very close to the Hufflepuff common room. Apparently, there was a quiet place they could all discuss the plan. She frowned the entire way there, not turning back only because Remus was involved as well. They finally came to a large painting of fruit. Which was odd in itself, if Pettigrew hadn't started rubbing the pear. Which would still have been believable if the pear hadn't started giggling.

"What in Merlin's name…" said Sia, utterly confused by the sniggers being passed around her. The portrait flung open to reveal…

"The Kitchens!" she squealed, rushing in excitedly. Before she could take in the beautiful sights and smells, a tiny house elf came forward and beamed up at all of them.

"Hello Master Black, Master Lupin, Master Pettigrew and friend of the Masters'," she greeted, her large eyes sparkling in happiness. What can Izzy get yous?"

"Hello Izzy!" grinned Black, making the house elf blush in excitement. "Some Lemon Fizzes and waffles would be nice for now."

"And this is Sia," said Remus, rolling his eyes and introducing his friend.

"Right. Anyway, let's get to work. Adams, what is this brilliant plan of yours and why is it better than mine?" asked Black, lounging on one of the chairs Izzy had conjured for them.

"I have already given you at least seven reasons why your plan sucks. Now, Remus, Peter, this is basically what I thought of," she said, explaining the details of what she proposed. "Can it be done?"

"I don't see why not. We can manage getting the things together but I'm not sure of where we can do this," said Remus, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Peter SAT up straight at this point of time. His eyes were sparkling and he quickly swallowed the waffle in his mouth. "I know the perfect place! In fact, I was just going to tell you guys about putting it in the ma-"

Black jumped from his chair and semitackled Peter to the ground, making the poor boy lose his trail of conversation. Remus rolled his eyes at them both while Black grinned apologetically at Peter.

"Sorry about that, Pete. Sorta toppled over my chair a bit."

"Really? I could've sworn you were trying to make him stop talking," said Sis skeptically.

" _Never_!" Black said dramatically.

"Anyway, what place were you thinking of, Pete?" asked Remus, once both boys were sitting up again.

The Room of Requirement was an absolutely fabulous find. It had been created to cater to the needs of witches and wizards, who could access it by walking in front of the inocuous wall three times while clearly thinking about what they needed.

"Such a gem," said Black, slinging his arm around Peter's shoulder. The shorter boy flushed with pleasure and shot a look at Remus to see what he thought.

"This is a rather brilliant find, Peter. Well done," said Remus, giving his friend a warm smile.

"You guys are oddly soppy," said Sia, scrunching up her nose.

So it was decided. They would be screening a Muggle film in the Room of Requirement on the night before the Hogsmeade trip. The aim was to get Lily to get to know James in a relaxed, group atmosphere. And that meant that the group had to have more people than the Marauders. Anna and Bedelia were busy because they had a Student Affairs meeting. So that meant that Rowena, Marlene and Dorcas were going to be joining Sia and the boys.

The room was set up perfectly. There were bean bags and lazy chairs spread out everywhere, a projector and screen had appeared as well. Rowena and Remus set up the film while Peter and James arranged the snacks. Only the four of them knew about the plan. All the others thought it was just an innocent night in.

The lights were dimmed and the film started playing. Anna had helped Remus choose the film as she was muggleborn and knew most about these things. _The Pink Panther Strikes Again_ was a film about a bumbling French detective, investigating the kidnapping of a famous scientist and his daughter. It was hilarious and soon everyone was in splits. Rowena and Peter had the bowl of Ice Mice with them, almost dropping everything as they clutched their sides in laughter. Remus, Lily, James and Sia were sitting on one of the larger sofas, the seating arrangement done in such a way so that Lily wouldn't have to sit alone with James. Marlene and Dorcas were sharing a chair while Black sat next to the arm of the large sofa on Sia's end.

Things were going according to plan because in the midst of the hilarity on-screen, Lily was less uptight next to James and James had lost his newfound awkwardness. Remus was brilliant, subtlely dropping conversation hints which he knew would help James and Lily interact easily. Peter was doing a terrible French accent, sending poor Rowena into anguished and reluctant chortles. Black was having the time of his life. His head was thrown back and his bark like laughter rang out clearly in the room.

As the film was nearing its end, Dorcas and Marlene excused themselves because they had some assignments to submit to Slughorn. Rowena had started dozing off slightly as well. Remus was slowly getting up from the sofa without either of the two victims realising it. Wasn't too difficult, honestly. They were engrossed in their conversation. Sia was doing a victory dance in her head when the weirdest thing happened.

Black had been roaming around the room, stretching his legs. He was about to sit down next to Lily in the place Remus had vacated but Peter chose that moment to fumble with the Butterbeer bottle and send it rolling in the opposite direction. Naturally, the first thing that it hit was Black's unsuspecting ankle, making him trip and dramatically tumble onto the sofa with an almighty flourish. Thankfully, he landed mostly on James, but Sia felt his hands on hers.

Suddenly, Sia felt a cold metal touch her hand and she jerked it away, only to be hurled back towards James which meant that she collided with Black in the process.

"Ow! Adams! What's with your skull? Thickhead much?" he scowled and said.

"Bugger off. Something pulled me towards James and there's also something on my ar-" She didn't finish her sentence as her eyes went wide at the sight of her left hand.

It was currently neatly handcuffed to James' right hand. And judging by the harsh tug she had felt when she tried to move away, there was a terrific chance of the handcuffs being enchanted.

"BLACK!"

* * *

Remus groaned as he witnessed the scene unfolding in front of him. Sirius had somehow managed to handcuff James and Sia together. No doubt, he had meant the handcuff for James and Lily, but that wasn't important at this point. Sia looked ready to kill. James was holding onto her handcuffed hand as she kept trying to lunge at the one responsible for this predicament. And Sirius? Well, Sirius was as stubborn as they came.

"I swear to Merlin that I will dismember you, Black!" she yelled as Sirius didn't bat an eyelid.

"I doubt it. Stop being melodramatic, Adams. It's only temporary," he said, nonchalantly.

 _Bad move, Sirius._

"You arrogant arse! You just wait till I can - Fucking hell, James! Geroff me!" she yelled at James this time. The poor boy looked bewildered and frightened, caught between trying to save his best friend's life - which was definitely in danger - and maintaining fully functional eardrums.

"Sia, calm down for just a moment! You're not going to fix this by screaming your lungs out!" shouted Rowena this time, trying to exceed Sia's volume.

"Easy for you to say! I'm not going to let you get away with this, Black" she screamed and suddenly lunged at Sirius as she felt James stand up next to her. As a result of this slight change in position, James lost balance and fell towards Sia whose intended target was Sirius. All of this ultimately ended in Sirius being knocked down with Sia and James lying in a heap on top of him.

"Bloody hell, Adams! What's wrong with you?! Are you crazy? You could've properly injured us all!" he managed to say from underneath everyone.

Sia was glaring at him, something which wasn't gaining its desired ferocity because she also had to deal with a very disoriented James squirming on top of her.

"I'm warning you, Black. That Permanent Balding Charm is waiting for you as soon as I'm free of this deadweight!" she snapped, throwing James a dirty look.

"Umm, Sirius, what exactly are these?" asked Remus, finally speaking amidst the chaos.

"Enchanted handcuffs, of course. You're getting old, Moony," he said, shifting about and scowling at Sia.

"Right. The same ones in the Zonko's catalogue?"

"Yup."

"Which means?"

"They can be opened after 6 hours with the special key that's in our dorm."

"SIX HOURS?"

"SHOUTING DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACTS, ADAMS!" bellowed Sirius, determined to outdo Sia in this shouting match.

"OI! Shut up! Both of you!" said Lily, glaring at the two struggling figures on the floor. "Remus, you and Peter go back and find the key. Rowena and I will help these guys up, and make sure that Sia doesn't commit any Azkaban-worthy acts."

Order seemed to prevail at her firm tone and Remus suppressed a grin at how silence had finally descended.

"That was brilliantly done, Lily. I didn't think they'd ever stop yelling. You're so good at negotiating."

Lily snorted at this "A Nonverbal Silencing Charm is what I'm good at. Merlin knows these two would be at it for hours. And I don't fancy getting a headache because of them."

"Right," said Remus with a chuckle. "I'll head back and look for the key. Peter, let's go."

Lily turned towards the handcuffed pair, feeling a tiny bit of pity for Potter. He looked increasingly anxious as Black and Sia tried to lunge at each other. She suppressed a giggle as she thought of how a Marauders prank had backfired on them.

"Black! Come and sit beside me. Sia, you and Potter go and sit in the other end of the room," she said, pulling Black by his sleeve.

The atmosphere in the room was rather tense. There were glares being exchanged and Lily sighed in frustration. She looked at Potter and met his eyes in a stare. He gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his eyes with his free hand. It was weird. She had never imagined a situation where she would be agreeing with Potter on anything. Yet, here she was, sharing the exasperation and annoyance with their friends' behaviour.

Potter. What could she make of him? A prankster? An arrogant showoff? An entitled arse? Definitely. But there was more there as well. He had somehow reduced his brash and overconfident demeanour. And tonight, she had actually gotten along with. He was funny and smart. Someone she wouldn't mind being friends with.

That night, the plan to get Lily to give James a chance had succeeded. If with only a few minor setbacks.

"You thought WHAT?"

Remus groaned again. They had finally freed Sia and Sirius, and Peter and Lily had taken James back to their common room. That was when Sirius had told them the reason for the handcuffs.

"Well obviously I didn't trust your pathetic plan to let them watch a Muggle film together. The handcuffs were the backup plan when yours fell to pieces," he said haughtily.

"Ugh! You complete arse, Sirius Black!" she yelled, pulling her wand out of her pocket. " _Densuago!_ "

"Oh dear," muttered Remus, as Sirius' front teeth started growing at an alarming rate. "Come on, Padfoot. Let's get you to the Hospital Wing before you do something even more idiotic," he said, pulling Sirius away from the room as quickly as possible. "See you in the morning, Sia!"

* * *

 **Hey! So this chapter turned out very weirdly because I wrote it in a pathetically haphazard manner. Sorry :/ Anyway. The next ones will be better.**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Cheers!**


	14. Quite a Quidditch Quandry

**A/N Happy New Year! Hope you guys are keeping well! Here's the next chapter! Again, having a lot of difficulty writing without my laptop so sorry about typos and stuff :(**

 **Cast: Bedelia Dupont played by Cara Delevingne**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Hogsmeade weekend started as expected. Remus was waiting at the entrance for Lily at eleven as they had planned. James, Sirius and Peter had gone off earlier, having plans to meet up with them at The Three Broomsticks for lunch. Lily was slightly relieved to be meeting just Remus because last night's shenanigans had left her quite weary. She was relieved to see that Sia and her friends would probably not collide with Sirius and James.

"Hey Remus! Ready to go?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Absolutely. I've prepared a list of books I'm planning on checking out today," said Remus, grinning.

"Which reminds me, I've got that Muggle book you wanted. I haven't read it yet but I might after you finish, depending on how you like it," she said, pulling out a fat book from her bag.

"Ah! _The Godfather_. I've been waiting to read this all summer. Do you know that Sirius suggested this to me?" Lily raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah, he told me that they've even made a Muggle film out of it and he really wants to watch that as well," continued Remus.

"Wow. I didn't know he was interested in Muggle culture," she said, frowning in thought.

"Well, he just started it to annoy his mum but I think he's really taken a fancy to some of the books and stuff," said Remus, shaking his head in amusement.

Lily was quite surprised to find this out about Sirius. It seemed like all the Marauders had more to them than met the eye. Even Peter wasn't all 'cheese-and-please'. She had seen him win a particularly tough game of chess against one of the seventh years. He may be in James and Sirius' shadow but that didn't mean that he was anything less than them. Plus, she saw that he gravitated naturally towards Remus who was more of a friend while the other two seemed to be idols of sorts.

"Ah. We're here," said Remus, breaking her out of her reverie. Lily smiled brightly as she inhaled the scent of books and parchment, diving into the world that didn't discriminate and opened its doors for everyone to enter and enjoy.

* * *

Sirius liked being at The Three Broomsticks. It was warm and comfortable. Plus, Rosmerta always gave him a smile and free refill if he wanted one. Remus was supposed to join them in a few minutes along with Evans. He wondered how James would react to her after last night. Would he still be awkward and shifty?

"I'm going to get us a table. You guys get the Butterbeers."

Sirius immediately frowned on hearing that voice. He knew who it was. That annoyingly soft voice. He knew the short black hair would follow immediately. And it did.

He had tried so hard to get along with Adams. But she just annoyed him to no end. She was his complete opposite and was determined to stay that way. Being friendly with someone who constantly opposed your existence was a tedious task. And Sirius didn't like tedious.

"Bored anyone to death recently, Adams?" he asked, cocky smirk in place. He was happy to note that her face had tensed and smile had dropped from her face.

"Handcuffed anyone to the wrong person recently, Black?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He could hear James groan right next to him. Poor sod seemed to think that this stupid girl was worthy of being their friend. He also thought that Evans would someday go out with him.

"Padfoot! Prongs! Sia?" Remus stood near their table, looking a little anxious. No doubt, his concern was well-founded but Sirius wasn't worried about Adams. He could deal with her with his eyes closed.

"Hey Remus! Lily!" she said, moving her gaze away and smiling at her friends. It was annoying how she only smiled at her friends. It was like she thought that only a select few deserved to be graced by her smile. Who did she think she was?

"Sia! We've got the - Oh hey guys," said Anna uncertainly. She must have heard about last night's events.

"I think I see a table _way_ over there," said Bedelia, tugging at Sia's arm while the other two followed quickly.

Sirius huffed in his place and relaxed into the bench. He turned his attention to his friends. Peter was eating. Surprise, surprise. Remus and James were discussing something and Evans was occasionally adding to the conversation. Something he had not expected. It was a pleasant change and he took a swig of Butterbeer, reveling in the comfort of the moment.

* * *

Gryffindor versus Slytherin - it didn't get bigger than this. James Potter's legendary team up against the rejuvenated Slytherins lead by Lucinda Talkalot. The entire school was getting ready for the first match of the year. Sirius Black's younger brother, Regulus, had been selected to play as Seeker, the one department Slytherin lacked in. If the rumors were true, the Gryffindors were going to be in for a tough match.

Lily, Remus, Peter and Marlene left the common room on the day of the match, heading down for breakfast before the players left for the locker rooms. Nerves and last minute jitters were never a problem for James and Sirius, and their attitude seemed to be rubbing off on the new players as well. Many glares were exchanged and Sirius looked particularly ticked off to see his brother in the Quidditch robes.

Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had also shown up for the match. Sia and her friends made their way towards Lily and Remus, obviously supporting Gryffindor in this match.

"I'm so sleepy," yawned Anna, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't worry. This match will be over before you know it," said Peter, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Bedelia, frowning slightly.

"Padfoot and Prongs have an unbeatable team, that's why!"

"Slow down, Peter. Or people might think you're a fan," snorted Sia.

"Just wait and watch," said Peter, a smug grin on his face.

It was a close match. The teams were pretty evenly matched and it looked down to the Seekers to win the match. All eyes were on the younger Black brother, his pale face not showing a shred of emotion. His counterpart, Bertram Aubrey, looked confident and cheerful. The contrast in the Seekers' faces mirroring the stark fundamental differences between the Houses. Ultimately, Aubrey managed to get the Snitch by powering past a much slighter Regulus Black. Gryffindor had won 300-120.

Sia rolled her eyes as she watched the rather elaborate celebrations taking place. Peter even threw her a smug smirk, something he had no doubt learned from Black. Now that this was over, it was time for them to focus on their first match against Hufflepuff which was next Saturday.

"That was terrible coordination! What the hell do you think you lot are doing?" yelled Sia, her hair unruly in the harsh wind. The entire team was out of sync and the defence was absolutely rubbish. The new Chaser, Jonathan Pike, was doing a terrible job of working with the rest of the team. The Beaters were sloppy, the goals were shoddy and miscalculated, and the keeping wasn't even worth mentioning.

"Eve! You have to coordinate with Andrew and Sam! They're the first line of defence! You can't just decide your strategy alone!"

The petite brunette had a scowl on her face but gave no indication of having heard Sia or cooperating.

"Damn it, Eve! You can't ignore me like this! I'm your Captain at the end of the day! You have to set aside personal issues on the pitch! If you can't do that then you're a rubbish player!" she shouted, her temper slowly rising.

"You're right. It's useless if I can't set aside _personal issues_ as you so brilliantly put it. And I'd rather not be taking orders from someone like you. So I quit."

She flew down to the ground, picked up her broom and started walking towards the locker rooms.

"What? You can't quit! The game is in three days! EVE!"

But there was no point shouting. Flitwick informed Sia that Eve was well within her rights to quit whenever she pleased. It was rather unfortunate that she had chosen this particular moment. He had, however, given her complete jurisdiction of the matter of the replacement. There was hardly any time and holding Keeper tryouts were going to be immensely difficult. That's when Sia decided to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

Sirius almost didn't go for the game out of spite. But then, it was spite that eventually made him go. When he heard about Diggle's abrupt departure, a strange sort of pleasure filled him thinking about the amount of trouble this would give Adams. And he definitely didn't want to miss the trainwreck that would be this Ravenclaw team, minus regular Keeper. Plus, this was Adams' first match as Captain. Plenty of reasons for him to gloat when they lost spectacularly.

"Welcome to the second match of the season!" boomed Benjy Fenwick's voice over from the stands. "After the exciting start to the season let's see what the Eagles and Badgers have in store for us!"

Sirius yawned as the Hufflepuff team was introduced and they flew out in canary yellow robes. Now that Julian Grey had graduated, the team was much weaker. Which meant that the match was going to be pretty boring. He perked his ears when Fenwick moved onto the Ravenclaw team. Who had Adams picked as the replacement Keeper?

"We have an interesting line-up for today's Ravenclaw team! Due to some unfortunate circumstances, they've had to adjust their team. Chasers Chadwick, Pike, Ryan, Beaters Knightley, Davies, Seeker Rogers and filling in for the spot of Keeper is newly instated captain Adams!"

Sirius nearly fell from his seat in astonishment. He must have heard wrong. But James was looking equally bewildered next to him. Which meant that Adams had actually…

"Madam Hooch blows the whistle and THEY'RE OFF! Pike with the Quaffle -"

This was extremely bizarre. Adams had actually given up her spot as Seeker and taken over as Keeper in place of Diggle. What was she thinking?

"This might just prove to be a brilliant move," murmured James next to him. "Who knows the plays and strategies better than someone who's been on the team for three years? If SIa can pull this off…"

Sirius frowned as he watched the game. It was oddly exciting because a lot of the plays were random and instinctive. Two teams with new captains and new line-ups. And Adams was actually doing a pretty good job of Keeping. The only problem was one of the new Chasers.

Jonathan Pike was a Quaffle Dick. He refused to coordinate with the rest of the team, rushed off towards the opposite goal hoops and inevitably got intercepted. Adams was a good Keeper, better than any last minute substitute, but even she couldn't keep out the onslaught of shots from the Hufflepuff Chasers. Ravenclaw barely had possession and only managed to score a couple of goals.

"Oh dear! It looks like Ravenclaw's Pike has collided with his teammate Ryan. She appears to be unconscious and, yes Madam Hooch has given the signal. Ryan will not be playing the rest of the match! Ravenclaw are a man down!"

Sirius watched as Liam Chadwick glared at Pike. If coordination had been an issue before, it was way bigger than that now. The scoreboard looked pathetic, Adams struggling to keep her team together and guard all three hoops.

"Looks pretty bleak for Ravenclaw right now. 190-20, Hufflepuff leading!"

All of a sudden the small boy who had been given the Seeker's position, shot into motion. He was damn fast. Plus, his build was particularly suited to that of a Seeker. He flew swiftly, his movements lithe and light.

"AND ROGERS HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH BUT RAVENCLAW STILL LOSE THE MATCH!"

A dejected bunch of blue robed figures flew to the ground, their yellow counterparts going wild with excitement. Sirius shot a quick glimpse at Adams before heading back into the castle.

Calm. Unruffled. Encouraging.

* * *

A weird feeling permeated Sirius' gut that night. He was loathe to call it guilt but that was probably what it was. Of course it hadn't been his fault that Ravenclaw had lost. But the feeling kept gnawing at him, flashing back to the moment at the Great Hall when he had seen the glimmer of despair in Adams' eyes when she had thought no one was looking.

Sitting up on his bed, he whipped out the map and tapped it with his wand. His eyes briefly scanned the area around the Ravenclaw Tower. The particular dot he was looking for was nowhere in sight. He opened another section, relying on a strange instinct that told him to check the Astronomy Tower. And the instinct was correct.

She was sitting there with her knees curled to her chest, a vacant look on her face. The light from the moon gave her a strange pallor that she normally didn't have. Her eyes were red and there were tear tracks down the length of her cheeks.

As brash and headstrong as he was, Sirius had the decency to cough and alert her to his presence.

She quickly sat up straight and wiped her face, startled to see him standing near the stairs.

"Black?" she asked, bewildered.

"I was out for a walk. Couldn't sleep. Fancy running into you here," he said, keeping his tone light.

"Fancy that."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," he said, after a few moments of silence.

"Shouldn't I?"

"It was a dick move by Diggle. We all know that."

"Hmm."

"Come on, Adams. Cheer up. You did really well out there today," he urged, not sure how to handle her wilting form.

"I let in 19 goals. I'm not sure that qualifies as doing well."

"But you're not a Keeper! You aren't expected to block goals spectacularly! And it was mostly that wanker Pike's fault for screwing up your formations."

"Hmm. Terrible as a captain as well."

"Really? That's what you're getting out of this?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"I don't know how many captains would have the courage to try the tactic you did today. And it worked! Rogers did catch the Snitch! And you wouldn't have let as many shots in if your thickheaded Chaser had actually listened to you! It was a brilliant move! There were just some unfortunate variables you had no control over."

By this time, she had turned her attention to him. She listened as he talked about how James had praised her leadership skills as well. Slowly, a small smile formed on her lips.

"Yeah. This whole thing was a series of unfortunate incidents," she said, relaxing slightly. "Thanks for pointing that out, Black."

"I am known for being rather perceptive and observant," he said, a slight smirk tugging at his mouth.

"I seem to have heard something to the contrary," she said, a slight teasing tone in her voice.

"You offend me! How shall I deal with the hurt caused by your cruel cruel words?" he said dramatically, before they both burst into fits of laughter.

That was the night Sirius Black and Artemisia Adams became friends.

* * *

 **Cheers guys! Please review! It means the world to me!**


	15. Issues of Heart, Mind & Potions Class

**A/N Hey guys! This is a biggie! I had to address many issues that plague the Marauders plot. Hopefully I've been able to deal with them adequately. This was a tough chapter to write and I hope nobody is OOC. I'd really appreciate it if you all reviewed.**

 **Cast: Dorcas Meadows played by Sigrid Agren [French model]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Good morning, everyone!"

"Good morning, Professor Slughorn."

"The first part of today's lesson will be identification of potions. Now, gather around, there are four cauldrons with prepared Potions in them. I will pick one of you to identify each," he said, beaming at everyone.

"Why are we here again?" groaned James.

"Because you couldn't not take a class which had Evans in it," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"Ah! Mr. Avery, please come forth and tell me what you think is in the first cauldron," he said, smiling at the Slytherin Prefect.

The potion looked like thick, dark mud which was bubbling slowly. Avery scrunched up his nose in disdain and turned away from it.

"Polyjuice Potion."

"Correct! And can anyone tell me what is different about this particular batch? Ah yes! Ms. Evans?"

"It's incomplete, Professor. The final ingredient, the piece of the person one is turning into hasn't been added."

"Excellent!" he beamed. "Five points to Gryffindor!"

Avery sneered at Lily and walked back to his seat. James turned towards Lily and mouthed _Potions nerd_ to her. Lily rolled her eyes and mouthed _Quidditch nerd_ back to him, which made Sirius snort.

"Alright. The next one is quite a powerful potion. Now who will tell me… Yes. Ms. Meadows. Would you like to come up and tell us what is in here?" he asked, beckoning Dorcas forward.

The potion was clear and odourless, just like water. Only, there was one particular potion which had characteristics like that.

"Veritaserum, sir. It's a truth-telling potion," said Dorcas, confidently.

"That's right. Well done! And for our third, very interesting potion, let us have someone from the house of wit. Ms. Adams, please come forward," he said, grinning at Sia crookedly.

Now Sia was particularly fond of Potions and the fact that Slughorn had an unhealthy fascination with Lily didn't deter her from loving the subject he taught. She saw the distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen and the steam rising in spirals.

"That's Amortentia, sir. The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell different to everyone person based on what attracts them the most."

"Excellent! Now, as an experiment, I would like each of you to come forward and take a whiff of this," he said, clearly excited by the prospect.

As the sixth year Potions students lined up in front of the third cauldron, each of them experienced a strange sensation.

Lily nearly overturned the cauldron in shock when she smelt old books, her mother's lamb chops and James Potter's distinctive cologne.

James had a sad smile on his face as he smelt broom polish, butterbeer and the flowery scent that alerted him of Lily's presence at all times.

Remus wasn't surprised when he smelt chocolates, the comforting scent of the blanket on his four poster and old books.

Sia smelt caramel, the crisp autumn breeze and the faintest hint of leather. Rather an odd combination.

Sirius was bewildered. He smelt the damp earth after a night of rain and Mrs. Potter's special bread. The third smell was something that he couldn't for the life of him recognise. He knew that it was familiar and bloody distinctive, but what was it? And why couldn't he place it?

"Alright, alright. Settle down. Now, for our final Potion, who will come forward? Ah, Mr. Black! Let's see some of that potioneer's blood your family is so famous for."

Sirius looked utterly bored and loped forward with that effortless grace only he could manage. He looked at the fourth cauldron which contained a golden potion. He knew what it was, but he couldn't remember the proper name for it.

"This is Liquid Luck," he said, stalling for time as he tried to recall the other name for the potion. He caught sight of Sia motioning to him. She had a piece of parchment with something written on it. Sirius smirked and turned to face Slughorn.

"Also known as Felix Felicis."

Slughorn looked a bit surprised but smiled at him nonetheless. "That is correct. Well done, indeed. Now, for the rest of the lesson you will be attempting to brew the Draught of Living Death. The one who manages to make the best potion will win a tiny vial of our friend Felix here," he said, chuckling at his own joke. "This is a very valuable potion and the drinker will see that all his endeavors are successful. Uptil the effects of the potion wear off, of course."

* * *

"I can't believe Snivellus won that vial!"

"Prongs, your capacity for disbelief really surprises me sometimes," said Remus, chuckling to himself.

"What surprised me was Padfoot! How'd you know the proper name for the potion?" said James, rounding on his best friend.

"Got lucky, I guess," he said, shrugging. His face was back to its usual self, looking unabashedly bored. Sia sometimes wondered how he had mastered that expression. In fact, she looked at him to try and discern the mechanism of that expression when he gave her a quick wink.

Completely caught off guard, Sia hesitated and promptly crashed into a suit of armor. There was a terrific noise as she fell on her butt, dragging the metal figure down with her. She tried moving it off her and only succeeded in dismantling it and sending a piece of metal clanging down the enchanted staircase. Everyone's expression varied from mildly concerned to bursting with laughter.

"Smooth," said Sirius, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

* * *

Christmas holidays would start next week, which meant that this was the last Hogsmeade trip of the year. Snow had begun falling and everyone had wrapped themselves in woollens, eager to go outside and enjoy themselves.

Lily had been a little down the previous night at dinner. She had received a letter from home, confirming that she couldn't go back for the holidays because her sister Petunia was having her boyfriend and some other people over for the remainder of the year. What was upsetting was that she had asked for Lily to not be present while her guests were staying over. As much as her mother had tried to cushion the blow, Lily still felt terrible. She would be missing so many things, muggle Christmas carols, special cake, decorating the tree and roaming about the town with her camera.

"Hey Lils, feeling any better?" asked Sia, once they were at Hogsmeade. The redhead smiled and nodded her head, although her eyes still looked sad. Sia and her friends had separated from the boys a while back, taking Lily and Dorcas with them.

"What the actual - "

They both turned around to see what Rowena was exclaiming it. There, near one of the roads leading to the Shrieking Shack, stood a large deer with a rather ridiculous red ball stuck to it's nose.

"Rudolph?" breathed Lily, her eyes wide. Sia, Rowena and Dorcas turned to look at her with the same amount of disbelief as they had reserved for the deer.

Anna, however, had started laughing, going to stand next to Lily. They both exchanged looks and then gleefully ran towards the deer. Bedelia looked a little skeptical, charging at random animals wasn't something she particularly endorsed. But to the deer's credit, it seemed pretty unbothered by all the human attention. In fact, it almost seemed to be standing smugly, antlers raised in pride.

"Am I missing something?" asked Dorcas, glancing between Sia and Rowena. They both shrugged and moved to get a closer look at the deer.

Later that night, the Gryffindor common room was the site of an early Christmas celebration. Sirius and James had somehow managed to acquire a rather large stack of Butterbeer and Ogden's Finest Firewhiskey. Remus sat next to the fire, toasting a few marshmallows and chatting with Anna. Bedelia and Dorcas were playing a game of Exploding Snap. Rowena had managed to make some spectacular cheese sauce and was currently in the middle of a relating a detailed description of the cooking process to Peter and Sirius. Sia was chatting with James about the next Quidditch match against Slytherin, while Lily sat next to them and quietly sipped her drink. Soon, Sia had dozed off, not used to drinking quite so much Firewhiskey. Lily felt rather content, a warm feeling evading her as she watched her friends chatting and enjoying themselves. Perhaps it was the Firewhiskey, but Lily decided that she wanted to tell James about the wonderful sight that had greeted her at Hogsmeade today.

"James?" she asked, bringing the bespectacled boy out of his daydream. "I saw the most fascinating thing today. A reindeer! And it had a red nose as well! Can you believe it? I saw Rudolph in Hogsmeade!"

Unknown to Lily, James could very much believe it. He struggled to keep the smug smile of his face and instead, concentrated on listening to her.

"I was so upset last night, you know? About missing Christmas at home? And then I see Rudolph! Oh sorry," she giggled weakly, "Rudolph is part of a Christmas carol that muggles sing. It was my favorite growing up and I felt less homesick when I saw Rudolph today."

She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt pleasantly buzzed and James shoulder was rather comfortable. James, on the other hand, was not.

It had appeared to be a great idea. Transform into a deer, wear a red ball on his nose, make Lily happy. What he had not anticipated was this squirming worm of guilt, crawling around his stomach. He felt insanely uncomfortable about the fact that he had known about all of these things Lily had spoken about. He felt like he had somehow betrayed her trust. Which led him back to the Firewhiskey. He uncorked a fresh bottle and drank some of the hot, burning liquid.

"Lily, I need to tell you something. I'm a deer."

Lily looked mildly amused and chuckled into his shoulder.

"I'm sure you are, James. Remus is a dear as well."

"No. You don't understand! I can - "

But Lily had dozed off by this time, not hearing the rest of James' confession.

* * *

"Merlin's saggy underpants," groaned Sia as she brushed her teeth. Waking up in the Gryffindor common room had not been pleasant. Especially not after finding yourself wedged between a snoring Peter and a drooling Remus.

Thankfully today was a Sunday. She met Lily on the way to the dining hall and she looked quite green.

"Hangover not suiting you, Lils?" she asked with a chuckle.

"It's not that. I think I had a very odd dream. Something about Potter being a dear and Black hating fleas." Lily groaned after she caught sight of breakfast. "Merlin! I can't even look at food anymore!"

"I think I'm up for some eggs and bacon!" Rowena looked quite cheerful and elicited a doleful glare from Lily.

"But seriously, Lils, you dreamt about James? That's pretty bizarre."

"You're telling me? It also had something about Peter being afraid of cats or something," she mumbled.

"Wait. I think I heard something about Peter being scared of cats," Sia said with a frown. "It can't be a coincidence, can it? Can two people have the same dream?"

"Listen. I think your idea is bollocks, Sia, but there's definitely something more to this odd dream or whatever that you two experienced. Because I definitely remember Peter saying something very dodgy last night. He was babbling about how he hated keeping the mandrake leaf under his tongue for a whole month and how it's somehow related to his fear of cats. I definitely didn't dream that."

"Wait, did you say mandrake leaf under the tongue for a month?" asked Lily urgently.

"Yup. I remember because it was so oddly specific."

"That's ridiculous. It's one of the final steps of becoming an Animagus!"

"Wait. Are you trying to say that _Peter_ is an Animagus?" Rowena was frowning at Lily now.

"No. That's not what I'm saying. It's just… Oh my god! I remember it now!" shrieked Lily, a horrified expression on her face. "This is what James was telling me after we got sloshed last night. It wasn't a dream! He was telling me that the three of them were unregistered Animagi!"

"That's insane, Lily. Why would Potter, Black and Peter become unregistered Animagi? It's a notoriously difficult process."

Sia gulped slowly. She had a fair idea about why the three of them might be illegally transforming into animals. A reason Lily and Rowena could never even fathom. She needed to find one of them quickly.

Leaving her two friends arguing about Animagi, rules and general conduct, Sia dashed towards the Gryffindor common room, her long legs carrying her adequately. She also managed to crash into someone who had to hold her steady before she could gather her bearings.

"Sirius!"

"Adams?" He looked a little confused by her use of his first name.

"Something terrible's happened! Lily and Rowena have found out about you three being unregistered Animagi! They're trying to get to the bottom of this! We-"

"Shit. Moony!" said Sirius catching onto what was worrying Sia the most. He quickly grabbed her hand and started running towards the library. "I'm going to ask you how you know about us later so don't think you're off the hook," he told Sia as they stopped in front of the library.

To their utter dismay, Lily was talking to Remus with very extravagant hand gestures. She spotted the two of them standing nearby and frowned.

"Sia? What's going on?"

"Huh? Nothing. What're you doing here, Lils?"

"Nothing? Then why are you holding Black's hand?"

Sia realised that Sirius was still holding her hand tightly. However, as she tried to pull away, he held a firm grip. _Idiot. This was no time to be stubborn_.

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Evans," he said, coolly.

Lily narrowed her eyes further and tossed her head away from them. "I expected better from you, Sia. Anyway, Remus, let's get back to our conversation."

"Seriously, Evans. Why do you always look like you have a stick up your arse?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Black," she said, using the same line he had.

"It is my business when you go about spreading rumors about my friends," he said, eyes cold and expression bored.

"I'm not spreading any rumors! Potter himself told me all of this!" said Lily, starting to lose her cool.

"Yeah? And what was it that he told you himself?"

"That you three, you, Potter and Pettigrew, are secretly Animagi!"

"You're delusional, Evans. Why don't you scurry on back to your books now? That's where you belong," he said, a definite sneer aligning his features.

"Sirius!"

"Just calling it as I see it, Moony."

"Lily, I-"

"No, it's fine. I'll talk to you later, Remus," she said, heading back to the common room but not before giving Sia a disappointed look.

"What the hell was that?!" Sia glared at Sirius before yanking her hand out of his grip and following Lily.

* * *

Remus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He kept replaying the incidents of the day.

" _I can't believe it, Remus!"_

 _Lily looked downcast and bit her lip._

" _I thought he was better than this. But it turns out that he's been doing highly illegal things. I just- I can't," she said, shaking her head in disappointment._

" _Lily, I don't-"_

" _The worst part is that he seemed so much nicer. Mature, kind and funny. And now? It seems like I was right about James Potter in 4th year. Nothing but a brazen, entitled arse."_

He felt horrible. This entire misunderstanding, the fact that Lily thought James was gallivanting as an unregistered Animagus for the heck of breaking rules, it was all his fault. Obviously, neither James nor Sirius had divulged his secret. But…

Any potential between James and Lily appeared to have been destroyed. Was he the reason his best friend had lost a shot at the love of his life? After everything James had done for him, this seemed like a pretty poor way to repay him.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell Lily anything. He was just so scared of the consequences. Lily was one of his only friends outside the Marauders. They had so many things in common and he didn't want to lose any of that.

"Remus?"

He looked up and saw Sia standing outside the portrait hole.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Once they were safely out of earshot, Sia gave him a small smile.

"So, a lot of things happened today. I'm sorry about all of this. I had no idea that delving into James' conversation with Lily last night would somehow jeopardise your secret."

"But things are pretty terrible right now. Lily refuses to talk to any of us. And I know she's reacting like this because she's disappointed in James. I think she really had started liking and trusting him."

Remus felt ill at this point. He probably looked it as well because Sia stopped and raised her eyebrows in concern. He shook his head and asked her to continue.

"This is your decision, Remus. No one else has the right to tell you what to do. But I'm just going to tell you one thing - trust Lily and your friendship with her. Consider talking to her about what you have to go through. Just think about it," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

Remus sighed and nodded his head. He left Sia and went back to the Gryffindor common room. He didn't spot someone lurking in the shadows, growing incensed with every passing word.

Sia was about to walk back to the Ravenclaw tower when she felt someone yank her arm and pull her into a wall. She was about to elbow the person when her eyes met angry grey ones.

"Sirius?"

"What're you playing at, Adams?" he growled, his eyes like shards of molten ice.

"Wha-"

"How dare you tell Moony any of that rubbish? He doesn't owe an explanation to anyone! And as for Prongs and Evans, maybe it's good riddance that she's decided to back off."

"I don't understand. Why are you so ang-"

"Don't you ever try and meddle in our business ever again. Just because you happen to know about Moony doesn't mean that you have any power over any of us. Are we clear?" he spat out, not waiting for her answer.

Sia couldn't help but frown at his retreating figure. What the hell was his problem?

* * *

James had just come back from a rather long discussion with McGonagall. And by 'discussion', he meant a talking to. Apparently, someone had tampered with the Quidditch equipment last week and because the Gryffindors were the only ones who had practised then, everyone had assumed that one of them had something to do with it. Naturally McGonagall had taken the act of 'besmirching the name of the house of Godric Gryffindor' quite personally and had told James to make sure he held his teammates in check.

He had just entered the common room when a bizarre sight greeted him. Lily was sitting next to the fire and crying while Remus tried to comfort her. Peter looked a little worried while Sirius was lounging on the sofa with a bored expression.

"I'm so sorry. I can't believe I almost-" she said between sobs, looking at Remus with red eyes.

"Lily. Please don't cry. It's not your fault. You didn't know," said Remus, trying his best to get her to stop crying.

"I was so insensitive! And I'm supposed to be your _friend_. I'm so sorry, Remus. And Peter and Sirius as well," she said, glancing at the other two as well.

Peter nodded his head uncertainly and gave her a small smile. Sirius continued to look bored.

"And James," she said, not realising that he was in the room. "I said such horrible things about him! I've been terribly judgmental."

"Lily?" said James, finally making his presence known. "What's the matter?"

She looked stunned to see him and didn't say a word for a good three and a half minutes. After which, Remus beckoned him over and cast _Muffliato_ around the five of them.

"I'm so sorry. Remus told me everything about why you three learnt how to turn into Animagi. I apologise for judging you three so harshly," she said, refusing to look at his face.

James was extremely bewildered. When had she judged them harshly? _How did she find out about the Animagus transformations_? He was about to open his mouth when Remus shook his head from behind her, signalling him to just go along with everything.

 _I'll explain later,_ he mouthed.

"Jeez, Lily. For a minute there I thought you had sold our team secrets to the Slytherins," he said, grinning at her easily.

"Wha-"

"Yeah. I was quite worried there for a bit. Thought Talkalot would have the upper edge now. Turns out, it's only just regular illegal Human Transfiguration and Lycanthropy. Nothing to worry about."

Lily looked perplexed for a bit but suddenly cracked a smile. Soon she had burst into giggles, Remus and Peter joining in as well. Sirius continued to observe the fire with extreme indifference.

"Hey Lily?" asked James, once everyone had stopped laughing. "Don't cry about this stuff. The only time it's okay to cry is when Gryffindor lose the Cup."

"You are quite impossible, Potter," she said, slapping his arm lightly.

"And you love that," said James, not really realising it. He continued talking to Peter and Remus, not noticing the faint blush that had adorned Lily's cheeks at his comment.

Sirius, however, had not failed to witness this unprecedented incident. For some reason, his resentment towards Evans seemed to melt away, as a myriad of teasing tactics popped up in his head.

* * *

It was Christmas eve and Sia had just woken up. Her friends had ditched her and gone ahead for breakfast. She put on her best sulking face and walked towards the Great Hall.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning," came a familiar voice from behind her.

She turned around and saw Sirius walking towards her with a grin on his face.

"Got up on the wrong side of the bed today, Adams?" he asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Gone was the anger and cruelty she had seen yesterday.

She didn't reply and continued on her way. He didn't let up and started matching her step. Engaging in light hearted teasing.

"Stop."

He looked mildly confused but complied nonetheless.

"What are you doing?"

"Walking with you," he said with a smirk.

"No. You can't just keep doing these things."

"What do you mean?" he asked, now genuinely confused.

"I'm talking about your behavior. You can't just treat people the way you do. You say so many hurtful things without batting an eyelid, and then you expect everyone to be alright with it just because you are. You're so unbelievably thoughtless! And not to mention how reckless your actions are! Do you never stop to think that there may be consequences? Not just for others, but for you as well! You act like a brash, entitled, arrogant arse and then complain about the prejudiced behavior of most of the Slytherins!"

Sirius was stunned. Not just because of the things she was saying but the disappointment in her eyes.

"Being a charming arsehole is just as bad as being just an arsehole. You need to get your act straight. Before you end up hurting someone who's actually close to you," she said, looking into his eyes before walking off.

Sirius had been slapped a fair few times in his life. But none of them compared to the feeling that took over him as he watched her retreating figure.

* * *

 **How was it? *ducks for cover***

 **I know it was super long but please tell me I didn't mess up everything.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Cheers!**


	16. The Anomalous & The Rogue

**A/N I'm back after a long break! Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I was having trouble with this chapter in particular. Hope it's not too confusing.**

 **Ideal cast: Natalie Portman as Evelyn Diggle.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"I hate you."

"Sia…"

"I really do."

"Come on…"

"No."

"But-"

"Nope."

"I'll give you 10 bars of Honeydukes finest?"

"Hmph."

"And my brother's discount at Quality Quidditch Supplies."

James bit his lip to keep his laughter in check. It was hilarious to see Arden bargaining with Sia. He didn't know why but it was still funny even without context. He moved his head slightly towards Lily and whispered into her ear.

"To what do we owe this delightful scene before us, Evans?" he asked, not tearing his eyes away from the two Ravenclaws.

"Sia threatened to stop speaking to Rowena for a year."

"Why…"

"Have you been living under a rock, Potter?" she asked, giving him an amused glare when he looked slightly appalled.

"Absolutely not! I've been a bit busy with Quidditch practice and all. I can't have missed anything of importance!" he said indignantly.

"Apparently, you have," grinned Remus, helping himself to some chocolate pudding.

"Ugh. Moony. I can feel a cavity coming on just by looking at the amount of chocolate you consume daily," groaned James. "And exactly what have I missed?"

"The Ilvermorny exchange program."

"The what?"

"Hogwarts and Ilvermorny are doing an exchange program for the last two terms of this year. Something about building international magical cooperation."

"Sounds like a load of Hippogriff's dung."

"Morning to you too, Padfoot," said Remus, noticing his less than shiny demeanour.

"Go on with the Hippogriff's dung, Moony!" urged James, looking at Lily apologetically when she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Sorry, Evans. Didn't mean to be quite so graphic."

"So as I was saying. Four students from Hogwarts will be going to Ilvermorny and vice versa. They've chosen sixth years for the program so that nobody has major exams that will be affected. Rowena is one of the students who is going this Saturday."

"Merlin's beard! How come I never knew anything about this!"

"No offence mate, but you've been rather busy lately. Other things preoccupying your time," said Sirius, glancing over at Lily for the briefest of moments.

"Shove off, Padfoot. Who else is going, Moony?" said James, his cheeks tinged pink.

"Andrew Knightley-"

"Ravenclaw Beater?"

"Yep. Marlene-"

"McKinnon's going as well?! Sorry, not interrupting again," said James, raising his hands in surrender.

"And Avery."

James' expression darkened at the last name. He was going to say exactly what he thought of Avery when Sirius spoke up.

"Adams losing two of her mates, eh?"

Remus glanced curiously at his friend. Sirius had the distinct bored look in his eyes. He hardly even looked up from his food as he spoke, disinterest dripping from him. If only Remus hadn't seen his eyes dart quickly towards the Ravenclaw table before glazing over as usual.

"Blimey! That's why she's pissed! Aw poor Sia," said James, running a hand through his hair before a grin settled on his face. "SIA!" he yelled, jogging over to the Ravenclaw table. "Just heard the news. Gutted for you, seriously."

Sia frowned as he continued to grin at her. Rowena, however, had a stony expression on her face, which James seemed to suddenly notice.

"Congratulations by the way. Fantastic work, Arden. Really," he said, ruffling his hair once again.

"But I thought you were 'gutted'?" said Rowena, raising one eyebrow carefully.

"Well, er, that is, I'm not gutted 'cause you got in, er, I was just-" James stopped suddenly as Rowena and Sia both burst out laughing.

"Just messin' with you, Potter," said Rowena with a cheeky grin. "You'll have this bugger around while I'm away, Sia. Not a great trade, but you could do worse."

"Hey! I resent that!" said James, with a comical expression on his face.

"Fine. But I still want the chocolates and the discount. And a really smashing present from there," said Sia with a huff.

"I won't return until I have the greatest present ever."

"Where's Andrew?" asked Sia after giving Rowena a hug.

"Think he went to meet ol' Filly."

"Stop with that name!" groaned Bedelia as Peter snorted into his food. Rowena winked at him before pouting at Bedelia.

"Come on, Beedz! You won't see me for SIX months!"

"On that note, I'm off to find Andrew," said Sia, dodging Rowena as she tried to tackle Bedelia.

* * *

"I'm gonna miss you, big guy," said Sia, hugging Andrew.

"Yeah yeah. We all know you'll be too busy trying to keep the team from losing all the matches now that your star Beater will be absent," he said with a grin.

Sia bit her lip guiltily. "What else am I supposed to do? Now I have to fill two positions!"

"About that. I've been doing some thinking. There are two people whom you might consider. I'll give you their full names in a bit but I think you should be able to do fine with them."

"Thanks, Andrew," she said with a sad smile. "And for the record, I shall miss your squishy hugs more than you."

"I shall miss your boney self as well," he said with a grin.

* * *

"I don't want to get up."

"I'm not in the mood for breakfast."

"I'm dying."

The three voices in order were Artemisia Adams, Bedelia Dupont and Anna Carlisle. It was the Monday after Rowena and Andrew had left for Ilvermorny with Marlene and Avery. There was a definite gloom in their dorm without the busy presence of Rowena. She was always up early and her energy normally spurred the others into action.

"Hurry up! It's nearly 8. We won't get breakfast if we don't hurry," hissed Sia after they had all dressed.

"I wouldn't mind, honestly," said Bedelia grumpily.

"I would. Besides, have you realised we'll be meeting the Ilvermorny students today? I'm so excited!" squealed Anna, as Sia and Bedelia groaned.

"Welcome back!" Dumbledore smiled genially at everyone through his half moon glasses. "I have a very special announcement to make before we start our feast. As some of you may already know due to the absence of your classmates, we at Hogwarts are partaking in an exchange program with Ilvermorny, the top magical institute in North America. Four of our students have already traveled across the Atlantic to start their journey. For your curiosity, here are their names - Rowena Arden from Ravenclaw, Nicholas Avery from Slytherin, Andrew Knightley from Ravenclaw and Marlene McKinnon from Gryffindor. We will surely miss them until they return for their seventh year. Instead, we are joined by four equally exciting students from Ilvermorny!" Dumbledore clapped his hands twice and the doors opened to reveal three girls and one boy.

"Jessica Parker," he bellowed as a girl with medium length red hair came forward and grinned.

"Susan Finley." A shy looking girl with long dark hair stepped forward, her hair almost covering her entire face.

"Alison Rogers." There were gasps across the hall as the third girl came forward. She was gorgeous. With long blonde locks and a dazzling smile, she absolutely owned the attention that had been directed towards her.

"And Adrian Bradley," said Dumbledore as the first and only boy stepped forward. He was extremely tall, with blue eyes and a roguish grin. A few sighs were heard as he winked at some of the girls sitting nearby.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! I trust you will find your stay here most invigorating. There will be no sorting for our guests. They may take a seat at whichever table they feel comfortable at," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Now, let the feast begin!"

After much hesitation, Susan Finley walked up to the Ravenclaw table. Bedelia waved at her and asked her to sit with them. She was awfully quiet and wasn't getting on as well as her school mates. Jessica Parker had settled down at the Hufflepuff table, cracking jokes and getting along like a house on fire. Alison Rogers had sat down at the Slytherin table, apparently she knew someone over there. Even though all the Slytherins weren't very welcoming, she had struck up a conversation with a few of them. Adrian had made a beeline towards the Gryffindor table, settling down with James and Sirius. He seemed to fit right in.

* * *

James burst into the dormitory, flushed and gasping for breath.

"Prongs?"

James turned towards Remus and rushed forward. "Do you know what just happened?"

"Deep breath, Prongsy," said Sirius, not getting up from his half sitting position on his bed.

"Shut up, Padfoot," said Remus, shooting him a glare. "What's going on, Prongs?"

"Sabotage! It's unbelievable! How could they sabotage Quidditch practice like that?!" said James, still extremely flustered.

"Whose Quidditch practice are you talking about?"

"Ravenclaw had practice this afternoon," said Peter, looking up from his homework.

Sirius felt his attention sharpen against his will at the mention of Ravenclaw Quidditch. Remus gave him a knowing look which he ignored and popped a Bertie Bott's Bean into his mouth.

"That's right! It was terrible! We just had a captains meeting about it. Hooch is livid. And no wonder. Do you know how horrible it was? The Bludgers had been charmed to follow one player! The Quaffle was spitting sparks at anyone who came into contact with it! And the Snitch-"

Sirius tensed slightly. The Snitch? Was she still playing substitute Keeper? Or had she gone back to her usual position?

"The Snitch burnt right through Sia's gloves! Pomfrey's trying to see whether it can be fixed in time for the match on Saturday."

"That's disgusting! Who would do something like that?" said Remus, frowning.

"Methinks there were some dirty snakes skulking about," said James darkly.

"Prongs, you can't just accuse people without any proof," warned Remus.

"I know, Moony. But this is just so bloody frustrating! You should've seen Sia's face! She's barely had a week's practice with her new team. Those fucking bastards! If I catch a whiff of who's behind this, I swear to Merlin that-"

Sirius had tuned out by this point. Wow. That girl had some rotten luck when it came to Quidditch. And she was going to be leading her team out against Slytherin in a couple of days. Survival rather than victory should be on her mind at this point of time.

* * *

"Good morning! And welcome back for another match to begin this year! Let's get right into the team introductions! Ravenclaw lead by Captain and Seeker Adams, Chasers Pike, Ryan and Chadwick, Beaters Davies and Ryder in place of Knightley and Keeper Stevens in place of Diggle!"

"Slytherin are lead by Captain and Chaser Talkalot, Chasers Mulciber and Rowle, Beaters Carrow and Macnair, Keeper Montague and Seeker Black!"

Sirius frowned as he saw his brother fly out in robes of green and silver. His face was pale and devoid of any expression. Just as mummy dearest had always taught them. He scoffed and put on the ugliest frown possible.

"Madam Hooch blows the whistle and they're off! Chadwick with the Quaffle - passes to Ryan who passes it back - oh! That was a close call with a well timed Bludger from Macnair. Looks like Chadwick is heading towards the goalposts - Montague looks determined - Chadwick passes to Ryan - she dodges a Bludger and another one and - OH! She feigns a shot and passes to Pike! Montague is too far away from the left hoop - Pike is racing forward and HE SCORES! Ravenclaw have scored the first goal of the match with some brilliant coordination among the Chasers!"

Sirius narrowed his eyes as the entire crowd barring the green portion burst into cheers. This was definitely a huge improvement since the last match. But they were up against Slytherin. And they knew how to play dirty.

Half an hour into the game, there had been multiple penalties awarded to the Ravenclaw team. Ryan had a large bruise on her cheek from where Talkalot had elbowed her. Chadwick had almost fallen off his broom twice and Pike had almost crashed into the stands.

"Rowle with the Quaffle! Dodges Pike - dodges Chadwick - dodges a Bludger - now it's just between him and Stevens! Rowle gaining in speed and HE SCORES! Slytherin shorten the gap! The score is now 100-70 in favor of Ravenclaw! Looks like it's up to Black and Adams to decide which team will win the match."

Just then both Regulus and Sia shot into motion.

"Looks like the Snitch has been spotted! Black and Adams are racing of towards the Ravenclaw goalposts! They're neck and neck-"

Sirius clenched his fist as he watched his brother try to outfly her. He was a pretty good flyer and his structure was ideal for that of a Seeker - light and nimble. But she was brilliant. Sirius was loathe to acknowledge it but the girl knew how to handle a broom. Even though they had started off at the same speed, she was now ahead of Regulus by at least a foot. Her deft turns and changes in speed were executed brilliantly. She was shadowing the Snitch perfectly.

"Adams closing in on the Snitch - Oh no! Looks like Carrow's sent a Bludger her way - but Ryder steps in and quickly deflects it. She's still in hot pursuit of the Snitch - Black is falling far behind and SHE'S CAUGHT IT! RAVENCLAW WIN 250-70! WHAT A BRILLIANT COMEBACK! FANTASTIC EFFORT BY CAPTAIN ADAMS AND HER TEAM!"

* * *

"Wow. It's a little cold today, isn't it?" asked Lily, moving her palms up and down her arms to try and keep warm. The Gryffindor-Hufflepuff game was about to start and she was sitting beside Remus, Sia and Dorcas. Peter was sick so he had stayed back, and Anna and Bedelia were on their way from a meeting with Madam Pince.

"It's chillier than usual," said Remus, passing her his flask of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Remus. It's nice to know that you have chocolate for all weathers," grinned Lily, taking a sip.

"And they're off! Gryffindor are lead by Captain and Chaser James Potter! Chasers MacMillan and Harris, Beaters Black and Crawley and Keeper Warbeck!"

There were many shrieks of excitement from the crowd as the new Keeper flew out. Lily rolled her eyes at the girls who were giddily gushing over him.

"Bloody hell! What's the matter with them? Why're screaming over Warbeck?" asked Sia. She had been oddly distracted the entire match but the frown on her face showed that she had definitely heard the Warbeck reception.

"He's Celestina Warbeck's younger brother, that's why," said Remus, chuckling as Sia's frown grew deeper. "What's up, Sia? You seem distracted."

"Hufflepuff have the Quaffle - going for goal and OH! Stopped by a brilliantly timed Bludger from Black!"

Remus watched as Sia's eyes were fixed on Sirius' flying form. Her expression was cold, contrasting with the warm cheers erupting in the crowd. Remus sighed knowing that he would need to talk to Sirius soon. Something must have happened between him and Sia. They had been getting along properly, even as far as being good friends. But that seemed a distant memory now. They both had sour expressions on their faces most of the time.

"I'll be back in a bit," said Sia, getting up quickly and moving out of the crowd. Remus nodded at her but Lily didn't appear to have noticed her.

The redhead was a little too busy being unable to withdraw her gaze from the Gryffindor Captain's unruly hair and confident grin. The way he flew was just mesmerizing. Lily hadn't ever been very interested in Quidditch. She much prefered Muggle sports. But something was different today. Her heartbeat seemed out of her control and her eyes sought out James whenever they lost track of him. It made her nervous but she was in a trance-like state, a spell keeping her attention focused on one particular player throughout the match.

* * *

Sia made sure no one was following her. Most of the school would be at the match but she knew that the Slytherins were too complacent to go and watch a Hufflepuff match. Which is exactly why she was headed towards the dungeons. Maybe she could find out exactly who had tampered with the equipment before their match last week. She had given it a lot of thought and it made sense that a Slytherin had done this. First of all, no other House would resort to such terrible means of pranking. Secondly, it was to Slytherin's benefit if her team got injured somehow. Luckily the horrible move hadn't resulted in anything too terrible. They had won the match but Sia wasn't about to rest until she got to the bottom of this.

As she neared the dungeons, she realised that she had no way to enter the common room. She didn't know if they had a password or some other way of getting in.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and the voices of a couple of Slytherin girls coming towards her. She needed to get out of here. But her only way out was to go past the incoming girls.

Now was the time for her to start practising her nonverbal spells. If she mucked this up…

 _Ventus!_ She thought as she pointed her wand at a dusty corner and concentrated. A gust of wind blew the dust right at the incoming girls.

 _Steleus duo!_

"Achoo!"

"Achoo! There's a draught blowing in here! Bugger it's kicked up the dust and ACHOO!"

"Let's get out of here! Achoo!"

Sia heaved a sigh of relief as she watched their retreating figures. She slowly got up padded her way cautiously towards the exit.

"That was quite a show."

Sia whirled around and came face to face with a very familiar face. Except there was a slight difference in the length of hair and the eye color.

"Black?"

"Didn't think you had it in you, Adams," said the younger Black brother, staring at her with an indecipherable expression.

"Get out of my way, Black."

"Or what? You'll make me _sneeze_?" he said, a definite mocking tone in his voice. "Looks like my brother's had more of an effect on you than I thought."

Sia clenched her jaw and didn't say anything. What was the point of this? Why was Regulus Black talking to her in the first place?

"What's your point?" she asked stiffly.

"Nothing at all. Just making an interesting observation."

"Interesting?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

"This is very unlike you, Adams."

"How would you know?"

"I know more than you think."

"Stalking is illegal, Black."

"I'm aware," he said, chuckling at himself. "I do have some advice for you though."

Sia crossed her arms across her chest. Time was running out. The match would be over soon. She couldn't risk anyone else seeing her here.

"Whatever you came here to find, I'd suggest you look closer home."

"What? What's that supposed to mean? Black! Wait!"

Regulus turned around and walked back. "Hurry along or else you won't be back in time to celebrate my brother's victory."

How incredibly odd.

* * *

 **Hey! Don't kill me for introducing new characters *ducks* I have a plan in mind. And to make things easier I'm just giving you guys my casting for the Ilvermorny students as well. SO yay!**

 **Jessica Parker played by Emma Stone**

 **Susan Finley played by Anna Hathaway**

 **Alison Rogers played by Blake Lively**

 **Adrian Bradley played by Matthew Goode**

 **Cheers! Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	17. Of Birds, Bees & Other Curious Creatures

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry for another long gap between chapters. I don't get much time to write but it progresses because I have the story planned out. I didn't get a single review for the last chapter *cries* But anyway. Hope you like this one.**

 **Ideal cast: James Potter played by Jim Sturgess. [I know he isn't the fandom favorite because of Aaron Taylor-Johnson but if you watch _One Day_ you'll see how utterly charming and incredibly goofy Jim Sturgess is. He's a perfect James I feel. Much better than ATJ. Plus he's so cute and mischievous looking ^_^]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Sia headed for the captains' meeting at Madam Hooch's office with an apple in one hand and a book in the other. She had just come across a rather fascinating wizard 'muggle tale' - the magical equivalent of a muggle fairy tale. No doubt, Lily and Anna would have a lot to say about it.

Oddly enough, she saw Peter talking to another boy, someone she had definitely not seen him with before. He was quite pale and unimpressive looking. She was just about to get a glimpse of his tie when they moved into another corridor.

How odd.

She suddenly caught sight of an unruly head of hair turning the corner and put away her book in order to call out to him.

"JAMES!"

The aforementioned unruly head of hair almost knocked into a suit of armor at the sudden hollering of a familiar voice. Sia grinned at him and sprinted over.

"Hello, fellow Captain! How goes life at the scarlet end of the rainbow?" she asked, slinging her arm around his shoulder.

James looked a bit startled but then chuckled loudly. He mimicked her movements and put his arm around her shoulder as well.

"'Ello 'ello! What's with the sudden interest in our poor Gryffindor selves? Digging for a bit of information before the big match, are we?" he winked at her and she laughed.

They soon reached their destination and found the Hufflepuff captain, Thomas Dent, busy reading through his Transfiguration notes. He was in his final year and with just one match to go, he had a lot of things on his plate.

"Whoa there, Dent! Easy on the revision, mate. At this rate you'll end up becoming a proper nerd!"

Dent looked up and grinned at James. Almost everyone got along well with the Gryffindor captain. He was naturally very charming and people just gravitated towards him.

"No chance of that, Potter. I've got a trial with the Bats lined up next month. If all goes according to plan, I'll never have to study Transfiguration again!" he said, his slight Irish lilt coming through.

The friendly banter stopped when Lucinda Talkalot arrived, followed by Madam Hooch, who had a very stern expression on her face.

* * *

"Padfoot."

Sirius was currently stretched out on his bed, his wand lazily flicking things out of Peter's drawer.

"Padfoot!"

"What is it, Moony?"

"Why in Merlin's name are you vandalising Peter's part of the room?"

"I'd hardly call this vandalism, Moony. Just a little bit of redecoration."

Remus sighed and sat down on his bed. Sirius had that inscrutable expression on his face again. The one he perpetually had in fourth and fifth year.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Sirius' wand flew into the air and landed in his left hand. This made his friend sit upright.

"Moony!"

"You're sulking, Padfoot. It's annoying."

"Hogwash."

"You are. Something happened between you and Sia - no, don't interrupt me. Clearly, it's enough to bother you into sulking for a whole month. Do us all a favor, Padfoot, and fix whatever you did."

"Why do you automatically assume that I did something wrong?" asked Sirius, indignantly.

"Because I know you and I know Sia. Seems more likely that you did something."

Sirius slumped back into his bed, sulking some more. Stupid Moony. Stupid sulking. Stupid girl making him feel guilty. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Padfoot. Stop cursing us in your head and do something. Either talk to her or get over it. As attractive as you think sulking is, it really doesn't become anyone."

Sirius gasped as his friend left the room with a hint of anger. What had got his knickers in a twist?

Some bird, probably.

Speaking of birds…

Sirius flipped through the latest catalogues in his drawer, determined to somehow fix his mood. He grinned as his eyes find what he was looking for. He just needed to find his owl and send the order across.

* * *

"Tomorrow's V Day."

Anna groaned and slumped forward on the table.

"I hate this. So many blasted couples being all… couple-y. Ugh!"

Sia had just come back from Quidditch practice and was too tired to respond at this point of time. She just let Bedelia take over.

"You can't stop people from dating, snogging and the likes."

Classic Beeds. Sia grinned to herself as Anna huffed in annoyance.

"But we can make things a little better. How about a girls' night?"

"What?!" Anna practically jumped onto the couch, nearly squashing a terrified second year. "Are you serious?"

"Yup. I was thinking that we could take out your muggle music player, bring out our stash of chocolate and gossip till no one at Hogwarts is left to gossip about."

"I love you, Beeds," said Anna, hugging her friend.

"I think I know how to make things a little better," said Sia, grinning at the thought of raiding the kitchens without the Marauders.

An hour later, the three of them were sitting in their most comfortable pajamas, surrounded by delicious food and peppy music. Their fifth roommate was missing as usual. She generally spent the night at her boyfriend's dorm.

"Okay, Anna, you start."

"Me?! Why me?"

"You're more well connected than most people in this school."

"Except for Dumbledore. And maybe the Marauders," piped up Sia.

"Fine. Well," she started, munching on a Chocolate Frog, "Apparently, Bertram Aubrey quite the ladies' man."

"Really?" asked Sia, scrunching up her nose.

"I don't get it either, but he's really popular with the younger girls," said Anna, matter-of-factly. "In fact, I hear that a couple of seventh years were also taken in by his charms."

"Disgusting. He's such a huge arse. I've spoken to him a couple of times and I know that he's generally just unbelievably entitled."

"Well, the entitled fucks are the ones who get the fucks," said Bedelia knowledgable. "It is a sad but true fact of life."

"Gross. What else, Anna?" asked Sia, fluffing up her pillow.

"I did hear some stuff about Eve."

Anna's voice was a little stiff as she said this. Eve hadn't spoken to them since her blow out on the pitch during practice. It was weird but she had maintained a wholly antagonistic approach towards them all.

"And?" prompted Sia.

"She's hanging out with that seventh year Hufflepuff a lot-"

"Jill Waters."

"Right. That's the one. And- Well, she's made friends with a few of the Slytherins."

Sia's jaw hardened but she nodded for Anna to continue.

"You guys know that I don't subscribe to House stereotypes. And honestly, I don't know much about the Slytherins except the dodgy ones like Mulciber and Snape."

"But?" asked Bedelia, prodding her gently.

"She's hanging out with a few fifth and sixth years. Not Mulciber or Snape or anyone. I think the fifth years are Regulus Black and Barty Crouch."

"The son of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"That's the one. And… I don't know. That's about it really."

The three of them sat in silence for a while. It was well past midnight now. Instead of the cheerful atmosphere that they had hoped for, a gloom had descended upon their dorm. The gloom was hanging low and was only lifted with a sharp tapping on the window.

"What in Merlin's name?" said Bedelia, jumping out of her skin.

"We're going to die!" said Anna, tucking her knees into her chest.

"I've got my wand. Beeds, part the curtains!" whispered Sia.

"No! Don't do it, Sia! What if you die?" asked Anna, latching onto her arm.

"I'll do it then," said Bedelia, swiftly crossing over to the window and parting it.

"UGH!"

"What is it? Anna! I can't see! What happened?" shouted Sia, struggling as Anna clutched onto her, blocking her vision with her hands.

"Relax, Anna. It's just an owl," said Bedelia, rolling her eyes and opening the window for the bird to enter. "A very strange owl. What are you doing here at this time of the night?"

"A package?" asked Anna, curiosity overtaking her after the initial fear had died down. "Who's it for? Oh my god! It might be a Valentine's Day gift!"

"Right," snorted Bedelia. "Who'd be sending us Valentine's gifts in the middle of the night?"

"Maybe it's from France," said Sia, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Bedelia's cheeks turned pink instantly and she started untying the package hurriedly.

"Ha!"

"What now?"

"It's for you!"

"Me?!" asked Sia, bewildered beyond words.

"Yeah! Open it up! Let's see what's inside!" squealed Anna excitedly.

Sia took the package gingerly and first read the card. It just said 'To Artemisia Adams'. That sounded rather romantic. She tapped the package with her wand and the wrapping came apart revealing a very tiny cage.

"Wait a minute. What the hell is this?" asked Sia, uncertainly. "Is this some sort of prank?"

"I know what this is! It's a new transportation method for live creatures developed at Magical Menagerie!" said Anna, excitedly. "Open it! I don't think it'll be anything dangerous."

Sia was highly skeptical of this fact but decided to open it nonetheless. There were three of them versus one of whatever was inside the cage. The door opened to reveal an extremely round ball of fluff.

"What in the name of Merlin's…" said Sia, bending forward to get a better look at the thing.

"It's a Pygmy Puff!" squealed Anna.

"A what?"

"Pygmy Puff. They're miniature Puffskeins," said Anna, excitedly.

"Aren't they illegal?" asked Bedelia.

"Not exactly. There are a few hearings pending on the breeding of Puffskeins. But no law has been passed. Oh! Look! It's so adorable! What're you going to name it?"

"Name it? Who says I'm going to keep it?" asked Sia, incredulously.

"You're not going to keep it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know who sent it? I'm not going to keep a random, almost illegal magical creature whose sender I don't even know!"

"But what will it do? You can't just throw it away!" said Anna, looking exceedingly mortified.

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Sia. "And not one that involves adopting it and giving it a name!"

"Fine," huffed Anna.

"You know, Sia. She's got a point. What will you do with it? I mean, it's still a living creature. You can't just chuck it away," said Bedelia.

Sia looked between the faces of her two friends and finally gave in.

"Alright. I'll keep it till the next Hogsmeade weekend. Then I'll take it back to Magical Menageries."

"Oh. But the next Hogsmeade weekend is tomorrow!" said Anna.

"Exactly."

* * *

Sia reached the Great Hall for breakfast to find Lily and James sitting together at the Gryffindor table. He was saying something and she was nodding her head in amusement. Such a strange sight.

"Hello, you two. Nice to see you all bright and cheery this morning," she said, sitting down and grinning at them. "Speaking of which, is there a reason why you're both so cheery?"

James looked around quickly and leaned forward across the table. Surprisingly, Lily did the same. Sia cocked an eyebrow at them both.

"James was just telling me about their Animagi forms," whispered Lily, excitedly.

Animagi form… Typical Lily to be excited about something related to academics.

"Alright. Tell me what they are," said Sia, fighting back a grin.

"Well, I'm a stag," said James.

"Really? What kind?" asked Sia, curiously.

"Majesticus asfuckus."

Sia snorted into her pumpkin juice as Lily gaped at him in disgust.

"Go on," said Sia, after recovering.

"Peter's a rat."

"A rat? Right…"

"And Padfoot is a dog."

"I see the link with your ridiculous nicknames now," whispered Lily, grinning widely. "You lot are such a bunch of nerds."

"Bollocks. We're plenty fantastic, Lily."

"Right. You're sixteen year olds with code nicknames for each other. Sounds like a nerd to me," teased Lily.

"That's not fair, Evans. You can't just take the mickey out of me like that! Say something, Sia!" said James, turning towards her.

"What kind of dog does Sirius turn into?"

James frowned at her question. "Huh? Uhm, he turns into a big shaggy black dog. In fact, Peter once joked that Sirius kind of looked like The Grim after transforming."

"You mean, the Omen of Death?" asked Lily.

"Yup, that's the on- Hey! Sia! Where're you going?" he asked as Sia stood up abruptly and bolted out through the doors.

* * *

Sirius exited the common room, already slightly grumpy about being attacked with Valentine's chocolates early in the morning. He was just about to turn a corner when he saw someone charging at him.

"You foul, loathsome, pathetic excuse for a person!" screamed Adams, her wand raised and ready to attack. Sirius quickly took out his own, not sure what was going on but determined to not back down either which way.

"I can't believe I thought you were a decent person! You're a bloody voyeur! How dare you!"

"What the hell are you talking about? And stop shouting like a banshee!"

She just glared at him and waved her wand, creating a protective bubble around them so that nobody could hear or see what was going on.

"Your Animagus form is a dog. It was you I saw that night during Easter break. You were the bloody dog who I said all those things to! How could you just sit there and listen? I was talking about such personal stuff! I hadn't talked about that with anyone else at that time. And you listened without my consent! And then behaved like nothing had happened! You're a horrid person!"

"Really? What was I supposed to say? 'Hello, we're terribly antagonistic to each other but hey! Did you know that I'm an unregistered Animagi and I accidentally overheard you spill your guts while transformed!'?" shouted Sirius, rage pumping through him. The offended look in her eyes made him all the more angry. Why the hell was she out there trying to make his life difficult?

"Don't try to evade this! You're clearly at fault here! How could you be so heartless?" she said, her voice cracking slightly from the anger.

"Heartless? I'm heartless? What the hell gives you the right to label me 'heartless'?" he shouted, moving closer to her.

She matched his steps, not intimidated by him at all. In fact, she seemed more incensed than before.

"Of course you're heartless! You don't accept that you've done any wrong! I'm standing here and telling you that it was horrid of you to basically eavesdrop on me, and all you're doing is trying to find some loophole to get yourself out! And what's worse is that you still haven't apologised for the way you behaved with me during Christmas!"

Sirius stood speechless for a moment. So she had been hurt by that. Why the hell didn't she say so directly?

"Why the hell didn't you just tell me that instead of lecturing me about my behaviour in general?" he asked, glaring at her.

"Well, I'm saying it now! Your behaviour hurt me, Sirius! You were horrible. You've been horrible before also and I'm certain that you'll be horrible in the future as well!"

"You can't just say that! How do you know for sure?!"

"Because you never apologised!"

"I DID!"

"WHEN?"

"I SENT YOU THE BLASTED PYGMY PUFF! THAT'S WHEN!"

"YOU what-"

She stopped mid-sentence as his words registered in her mind. Right on cue, the bluish purple Pygmy Puff crawled onto her shoulder, adding a comforting weight.

"Why'd you send me a Pygmy Puff?" she asked, her voice much lower this time.

"I already told you why," he said, feeling a little awkward with the situation now.

"Yes. But that doesn't make any sense."

"Not everything has to make perfect sense, Adams," he said with a huff. He waved his wand and removed the enchantments around them, before heading down to the Great Hall.

He chanced a look at her before climbing down the staircase. She was looking at him with thoughtful expression, her eyebrows scrunched together and her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

He hadn't heard the last of this.

* * *

 **Please review this story and let me know what you think of it. I'd love to hear some sort of feedback.**

 **Cheers!**


	18. Hogsmeade Hassle

**Bit of a recap for you lot, since I take a few full moons to update.**

 _"Because you never apologised!"_

 _"I DID!"_

 _"WHEN?"_

 _"I SENT YOU THE BLASTED PYGMY PUFF! THAT'S WHEN!"_

 _"YOU what-"_

 _She stopped mid-sentence as his words registered in her mind. Right on cue, the bluish purple Pygmy Puff crawled onto her shoulder, adding a comforting weight._

 _"Why'd you send me a Pygmy Puff?" she asked, her voice much lower this time._

 _"I already told you why," he said, feeling a little awkward with the situation now._

 _"Yes. But that doesn't make any sense."_

 _"Not everything has to make perfect sense, Adams," he said with a huff. He waved his wand and removed the enchantments around them, before heading down to the Great Hall._

 _He chanced a look at her before climbing down the staircase. She was looking at him with thoughtful expression, her eyebrows scrunched together and her wand gripped tightly in her hand._

 _He hadn't heard the last of this._

* * *

 **A/N Been MIA for a while. Had zero motivation to continue writing but I recently found a few new stories on this site and it kind of made me feel like writing again. Let's hope I don't lose inspiration again.**

 **Ideal Cast: Lily Evans played by Karen Gillan. I think she's pretty much fandom approved ;)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"So you're not giving it back?"

"No," said Sia, rolling her eyes amusedly at Anna's excited expression.

"Fantastic! Any ideas for names?"

"Merlin, Anna! Is that all you ever think of?"

"What? Names are important!"

"Fine. I'll think about it," sighed Sia.

"What changed your mind though?" asked Bedelia, curiously.

"Oh. Just, you know… Hey! Look, it's Remus! HEY REMUS!"

The sandy haired boy looked a little startled to hear Sia frantically yelling and waving at him. He smiled at her indulgently and walked over to them.

"Sia, nice to see you this morning. Are you all headed to Hogsmeade now?"

"Yup. Heading straight to The Three Broomsticks for some delectable warm butterbeer," grinned Sia. "Why don't you come along with us?"

"Aw, Moony. Are you ditching us for your smart Ravenclaw friends?" asked James, popping up from behind. He had a large grin on his face. Lily stood next to him trying to fight back her amusement. Peter was nowhere to be seen and right behind them all  
stood Sirius.

Sia looked away as soon as they made eye contact. How was one supposed to act around a person who had been an absolute jerk and then apologised by gifting them a Pygmy Puff…?

He appeared to be facing a similar dilemma because he studiously avoided eye contact and any scope of conversation. He chose to speak to James and Remus instead, occasionally teasing Lily.

The walk to Hogsmeade was agonisingly long. Sia was slightly nervous and kept zoning out of conversations. Anna and Bedelia were staring at her curiously, very aware that something was bothering her. She needed to make sure that neither of them guessed  
it was Sirius.

"James, please tell me that Hooch has scheduled our final already. I'm so tired of waiting for the exact date!"

"It's only February, Sia," said James, laughing at her expression. "She won't put it up before March."

"Why do we have to wait so long though?" whined Sia. By this time, Anna and Bedelia had started a separate conversation, not really interested in talking about Quidditch schedules. Sia breathed a sigh of relief, falling back slightly as they entered The  
Three Broomsticks.

Thankfully Sirius offered to order their drinks and Sia leaned into her seat, slightly relaxed. They were sitting at one of the large round tables. To her left sat Bedelia and Anna, beside whom sat Sirius' empty chair, Remus, Lily and James.

"Mind if I join you guys?"

Sia smiled at Jessica, one of the Ilvermorny exchange students. She quite liked her, her infectious laughter and quirky sense of humor made her a very interesting person to be around.

"Sure! Have a seat!" beamed James, always charming and warm. Jessica grinned at them and sat down in Sirius' chair. Remus was about to protest when James leaned across in front of Lily and jabbed him with his wand. Lily's cheeks turned pink as she tried  
not to focus on the proximity of James' untidy hair. She gulped softly and smiled uncertainly at Sia, who had seen the entire exchange and was grinning like an idiot.

Remus didn't look at all pleased to have a stranger sitting next to him and his best friend trying to puncture his ribcage. But he took the hint and didn't say anything.

When Sirius came back, he cocked an eyebrow at Jessica before James summoned a chair for him.

"There you go, Padfoot. Sit down beside Sia," said James, completely oblivious to the stiffening forms of his friends.

Sia looked directly into her glass of butterbeer, examining the different foam textures and the intricate designs on the handle. Really, anything to take her mind off the fact that Sirius was sitting next to her.

A lovely distraction provided itself to her in the form of her utterly smitten friends - James Potter and Lily Evans.

James was in full form, cracking jokes, telling stories and making everyone laugh. He was doing a fabulous job of not creeping Lily out and it appeared to be working very well because not only was Lily not annoyed, but she sat with pink tinged cheeks,  
laughing helplessly and watching James with a warm glow in her eyes.

A snort from her side alerted her to the person she was studiously trying to avoid. Apparently, the tallest Marauder found the fact that his best friend's one-sided love was starting to develop feelings for him, extremely amusing. She chanced a look at  
him and was surprised to see that his eyes were not on the goofy James and hapless Lily. Instead, he was staring at his other best friend and the newest member at the table.

Sia almost choked on her butterbeer when she realised what was going on. Jessica was talking to Remus animatedly, and for some reason this was making him extremely uncomfortable. Upon listening to their conversation more carefully, she realised that Jessica  
was flirting with him and Remus didn't know how to react! It was frankly hilarious as he got even more flustered and reactedwith annoyed, sharp retorts which just made Jessica laugh and continue to talk to him.

The final straw was when Jessica winked at Remus and he jerked violently, dropping his glass of butterbeer all over his new sweater vest.

Lily was quick to help her friend, while James and the others looked concerned. Sia, however, was trying very hard not to collapse into a fit of giggles. She pushed back her chair hurriedly and rushed out the door.

"Merlin's saggy underpants!"

"That was way funnier than Merlin's saggy underpants."

Sia whirled around to lock eyes with familiar grey ones. After her initial shock, a grin started forming on her face before they both started laughing hysterically.

"Tha-that was hilarious!" Sia managed in between giggles.

"Moony's my mate and all but damn! That was one hell of a trainwreck!"

"We are terrible people," said Sia, biting her lip and trying to quell her laughter.

"Horrendous," said Sirius, his eyes twinkling. "I'd give myself detention if I were a Prefect."

"Firstly, Prefects can't do that. And secondly, I'd say a good spanking would suit you better."

"Kinky," he said, his trademark smirk in place. Sia hesitated for a second, completely caught off-guard by his comment. She opened and shut her mouth a few times before Sirius also realised what he had said. His usual cocky demeanour faded and he looked  
uncharacteristically unsure.

"Sorry, it's almost a reflex at this point," he sighed, scratching the back of his head in a very James-like manner.

"I don't envy you," said Sia, regaining some of her composure.

"Why not?" He sounded genuinely confused that someone wouldn't like to be him or envy him in some way.

"Doesn't that mean that people only see you as a flirt?" she asked. "I would hate people thinking that that's all there is to me."

"What's the harm in that?"

"Don't like it," she said, scrunching up her nose. "Plus, it's slightly different for a girl. Flirting takes on a whole other dimension and then you're suddenly labeled 'easy'."

Sirius pondered on what she had said for a while. "You're right about that. It is different for blokes and birds. It shouldn't be. People should be able to flirt whenever and wherever they want, and even not if they don't want to."

"That would be a strange world to live in," said Sia, frowning slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"It'd be like being surrounded by different versions of you all the time!"

"You say it like that's a bad thing!"

Sia grinned at his shocked expression. "Why do you love yourself so much?"

"Because there aren't many people who do."

Sia's smile faltered. She had been aiming for lighthearted teasing but somehow, this discussion had turned serious.

He was looking out ahead of him, a small smile on his face as the wind blew in his longish, black hair. These were the moments when Sia felt like she had stumbled upon something bigger than anyone suspected. This boy, full of hormones, arrogance and pureblood  
heritage - why was it that he made her feel so empty yet overwhelmed at the same time.

He turned his head towards her, maintaining eye contact for a long time. The past few weeks of cold shoulders and passive aggressive verbal clashes seemed long forgotten. He was looking into her eyes after lengthy span of time and she would be damned  
if she broke that contact.

"Your eyes have flecks of brown in them," he said, jolting her back into the present.

"I- What?"

"I never realised it before. I always thought they were coal black."

"Er, alright."

"Yeah, it's very difficult to notice unless the lighting is just right," he continued, as if jotting down a few Astronomy observations.

"Thank you?" said Sia, slightly uncomfortable.

"I never said that's a good thing," he said, suddenly locking eyes with her again.

"Wha- Excuse me?!" Sia's indignation was heightened by the fact that she had just embarrassed herself in front of him.

"I can see it again. It flares up when you get angry," he said, giving her a wide grin.

"You are horrible!"

"I think we established that earlier," he said, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"Shove off."

"I don't think I will."

They continued bantering like that for a while, walking around Hogsmeade in slightly warmer conditions. Just as they reached Honeydukes, they were greeted by a surprise.

"Sirius!"

Alison Rogers, another of the Ilvermorny exchange students, walked up to them, her golden hair beautifully falling in curls behind her.

"Rogers, what's up?" asked Sirius, hiding any confusion he might have had.

"Adrian was telling me that you're on one of the school Quidditch teams. That's crazy! I'm a huge fan of Quidditch but it isn't that big a deal in America," she said, her accent suiting her tall frame. "I'd love to see some of the Quidditch shops in Hogsmeade.  
Do you think you could show me around?"

"You've come to the right bloke," said Sirius, all charm and suaveness. "We still have some time before we need to head back to the castle. Let's go now."

"Perfect!" she said, flashing her pearly white teeth at them both. She looped her arm through his and they turned towards Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Hey Sia!" called Sirius, looking back suddenly. "Tell the others not to wait for me. I'll head back with Alison."

"Sure."

The desire to throw up suddenly overtook Sia. Instead, she walked into Honeydukes and bought their month's supply of chocolate. The queasy feeling hadn't gone when she sat down for dinner at the Ravenclaw table. Bedelia and Anna looked worried but didn't  
press her when she told them she was just feeling a little under the weather.

A letter came from Rowena a few minutes before dessert appeared. Sia quickly opened it and began pouring through it.

 _Dearest darlingest Sia-est,_

 _How have you been? Sorry I couldn't write earlier, settling down has been quite crazy. I think I'm going to like some of the classes here. Can't say much about the government though. MACUSA seems a tad barmy. But then aren't all of them more or less the same? Wizards and muggles have a strange relationship over here. They act like they're doing this for the safety of the muggles but it's really for their own benefit. The Salem Witch trials really frightened people here._

 _Anyway, enough of that. I have to spend a lot of time with Avery because he's the only other Hogwarts student who's taken one of my classes. Can you imagine? The students here are quite friendly, much more welcoming than our school. Or maybe it's just because we were first years then._

 _Oh, I almost forgot. I have something important to tell you. Promise me you won't breathe a word of it to anyone else. Not even the other two. Right after we reached Ilvermorny, there was a welcoming party where I may or may not have downed a few shots of Firewhiskey too many. Long story short, I shagged Andrew -_

Sia spat out the pumpkin juice she had been in the middle of drinking. And by the grace of Salazar, the one on the receiving end of her pumpkin spit was Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and James cracked up at the next table while Remus got up to help his friend,  
trying very hard to keep his own laughter in check.

Sia didn't register any of this and bolted out of the hall, leaving a worried Bedelia and Anna behind. She also didn't notice that Regulus Black had witnessed the entire incident and had followed her out.

...

* * *

 **Hey! Let me know what you guys think. A review would let me know that at least someone is reading this.**

 **Cheers!**


	19. Much Ado About Everything

**Hey guys! I'm back! Hope you're still reading this story. I left a bit of a cliffy in the last chapter. Hopefully this will clear any immediate questions. However, this plot line doesn't get resolved immediately so bear with me.**

 **Ideal Cast: Jamie Bell as Peter Pettigrew. [Whoo! This was a tough one. Pettigrew is probably the most difficult person to cast. Hopefully you guys agree with this choice]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **As the last time, here's a bit of a recap.**

 _A letter came from Rowena a few minutes before dessert appeared. Sia quickly opened it and began pouring through it._

 ** _Dearest darlingest Sia-est,_**

How have you been? Sorry I couldn't write earlier, settling down has been quite crazy. I think I'm going to like some of the classes here. Can't say much about the government though. MACUSA seems a tad barmy. But then aren't all of them more or less the same? Wizards and muggles have a strange relationship over here. They act like they're doing this for the safety of the muggles but it's really for their own benefit. The Salem Witch trials really frightened people here. 

Anyway, enough of that. I have to spend a lot of time with Avery because he's the only other Hogwarts student who's taken one of my classes. Can you imagine? The students here are quite friendly, much more welcoming than our school. Or maybe it's just because we were first years then.

 ** _Oh, I almost forgot. I have something important to tell you. Promise me you won't breathe a word of it to anyone else. Not even the other two. Right after we reached Ilvermorny, there was a welcoming party where I may or may not have downed a few shots of Firewhiskey too many. Long story short, I shagged Andrew -_**

Sia spat out the pumpkin juice she had been in the middle of drinking. And by the grace of Salazar, the one on the receiving end of her pumpkin spit was Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and James cracked up at the next table while Remus got up to help his friend, trying very hard to keep his own laughter in check.

Sia didn't register any of this and bolted out of the hall, leaving a worried Bedelia and Anna behind. She also didn't notice that Regulus Black had witnessed the entire incident and had followed her out.

 _…_

* * *

 _-which was obviously a one-time thing. But I'm glad that the first awkward one is over and it wasn't some random bloke with possible STDs. But getting back to what you need to keep to yourself… I'm not sure how to tell you this in a letter. So I was hoping to talk to you over the Floo network. Write me back with a time and we'll talk then._

 _With all my love,_

 _Yoursest barmiest Rowena-est._

 _P.S. I'm sure you have gone bonkers after reading this letter but make sure you don't throw up your food or anything._

Bedelia sighed and folded up the letter. What a strange turn of events. And what exactly was Rowena being so secretive about? Anna was still in the Great Hall where she had left her with the Marauders. She headed back and hoped that Sia was alright.

"Dupont, is Adams alright?"

"I'm not sure. She was gone by the time I got out." Bedelia quirked an eyebrow at the older Black brother. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she added after a pause.

"Yeah. Sia's made out of pretty stern stuff," grinned James. "But what was in that letter that made her rush out like that?"

Bedelia was aware of at least six pairs of eyes looking at her intently. "Don't think it was anything serious. Sia said she wasn't feeling too well after coming back from Hogsmeade. Maybe she needed to use the loo very badly."

There were a few uncomfortable coughs at this statements. Anna, however, still looked concerned.

* * *

The boys' dorm in the Gryffindor Tower was usually a place of loud noises and infectious laughter. That night, the mood seemed slightly different. Remus had gone to sleep early, his usual fever taking over the night before the full moon. Peter too had fallen asleep with a cold, and the fifth roommate - Derek Smythe - usually shut the curtains of his four poster as soon as he got into the dorm. This left James and Sirius alone, but they weren't up to their usual boisterous antics either.

"So, looks like you and Evans are getting along quite well."

Sirius snorted as James turned slightly pink before ruffling his hair.

"I suppose. I mean, she doesn't threaten to hex me when I talk to her."

"Always a good thing, mate," smirked Sirius.

"And we've actually managed to have a few decent conversations recently," said James, brightening up. "She's even more fantastic than I thought, Padfoot!"

"Things are looking up for you, Prongsy."

"Yeah. And it's all thanks to Sia."

Sirius' gaze flickered over to his best friend's. "How so?"

"Remember when we used to hang out with her during summer hols last year? Well, that's when she told me that I needed to pull up my socks if I wanted to have any kind of relationship with Evans."

"I'm surprised," said Sirius, his grey eyes alight. "Adams doesn't seem the type to encourage frivolous behavior."

"Well, technically, she didn't encourage anything like that. Her exact words were 'You realize that behaving like an obsessive stalker is not doing you any favors, yeah? To her, you are an arrogant, entitled, possessive, chauvinistic arse.' And then she said I should behave more like a normal human being and less like an arrogant arse."

Sirius couldn't help the smirk as James grinned at the memory. Somehow, he would never have expected Adams to be able to give good advice. She was this prickly, goody two shoes, intent on reserving her judgement for the worst of times.

Well, that wasn't completely true. She was certainly prickly, got angry for the strangest reasons and didn't really talk to people outside her minimal friend group. But she definitely wasn't a goody two shoes. She had proven that countless times by either hexing someone or punching them in the nose.

Sirius chuckled at his favorite memory of Julian Grey's shocked expression when his nose collided with Adams' fist. Nah. She wasn't too bad. Very different from him, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

He tuned in again as James continued gushing about Evans and some minor detail of how lustrous her hair was, and then promptly tuned out again. _Yeah, Adams wasn't too bad._

* * *

Sia slowed down only when the urge to throw up had left her. She had gagged a couple of times on the way out, but the fresh air and lack of people was making her feel much better.

She suddenly realised that the letter from Rowena wasn't in her hand anymore.

"Blimey! I couldn't have lost it! Damn…" She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to recall when she last had it.

"Dupont picked up the offending piece of paper."

Sia whirled around to once again, face the uncannily familiar yet disturbingly alien face of Regulus Black. He looked too much like his brother. Except for the fact that he was slightly shorter and paler, with neatly cut hair.

"Black."

"You don't sound pleased to see me," he said, his lips curving slightly.

"Forgive me for not being overly thrilled but I'm sensing an ulterior motive than simply wanting to point out a very random piece of information."

He chuckled slightly before fixing his gaze on her again. "How very perceptive of you. I just wanted to know whether you had made any progress since our last conversation."

"Are you referring to the time when you very cryptically asked me to look closer home? If so, then no, I haven't. I didn't have a lot to go on."

"That's rather disappointing," he said, slight smirk still in place. "I suggest you look into that one again. Might come in handy sometime in the future."

"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling an odd sense of foreboding.

"You're smart enough to figure this out. Remember to look closer home," he finished with a wave and walked away.

Back in her dorm, Sia changed out of her uniform, extremely distracted. Bedelia and Anna were still awake, waiting for her to return.

"Sia, are you okay?" asked Anna worriedly, as Bedelia looked at her with anxious eyes.

"Yeah. Fine. Ran into Black."

"But he was at dinner with us."

"No. The other Black."

"Regulus?! What did he say?" asked Anna, frowning slightly.

"To look closer home. Felt like some kind of warning," said Sia, still quite distracted.

"About what?"

"Dunno. Honestly, I really want to sleep right now. Too much has happened today. 'Night."

* * *

Sirius was tired. Last night had been a full moon. Remus was currently in the Hospital Wing recovering, and the three of them hadn't gotten any rest either. Thankfully it was a Sunday and breakfast started a little late. He arrived at the table to find only Evans, absorbed in reading whatever was in front of her. _Lovely. Such bright company to boost my energy at this point._ He hoped James would be down soon.

"So… Evans, given anyone detention lately?" he asked, not liking the silence.

She looked a little amused and shut her book. "You don't have to make conversation. Especially not if it's going to be such a dismal attempt."

"Right." Sirius felt an awkwardness pervading the air and he didn't like that this awkwardness was mainly coming from him. Evans wasn't really bothered, she continued reading her book. He felt weirdly on edge and kept looking around for other people.

Just then he saw Sia and Dorcas walk in. As if sensing his eyes on her, Sia looked in his direction and gave him a half smile before sitting down at her own table.

"Careful now."

Sirius looked away from the Ravenclaw table to find Evans grinning at him with a knowing look.

"About what, may I ask?"

"Alison Rogers is headed this way. I'm sure you don't want her to see you grinning goofily at another girl," she said, pressing her lips together to suppress her smirk.

"And who might this other girl be?" He asked, looking at her with challenge burning in his eyes.

She just chuckled softly and went back to reading her book. Sirius had exactly 15 seconds before Alison came and sat down beside him. In those 15 seconds, he realised for the first time why James might like Lily Evans. She was incredibly attractive with wavy red hair and sparkling green eyes. On top of that, she was very smart and had a hidden sense of humour as well.

"Good morning, Sirius," said Alison, sitting down next to him. "Good morning, Lily."

"Morning, Alison," smiled Lily.

Soon James had arrived as well and the four of them sat and talked amicably while eating their breakfast. Sundays meant that there wasn't much to do and Sirius was sure that James wanted to spend some time with Lily. They were definitely heading into beyond-friends territory. They just needed that extra push.

After breakfast, they headed back to the common room, Lily deciding to stop by the library instead.

It was a slow day as James and Sirius struggled to stay awake on the sofa. Just then, they saw the dark blond hair of Bertram Aubrey swish into view as the portrait closed.

"Aubrey, what's that you've got there?" asked James, trying to look stern through his glasses.

"Umm, you see-"

"Tsk tsk tsk. And at this hour? Disappointed in you, mate," said Sirius, feigning disapproval.

"Oh, come on! It's noth-"

James cut him off before he could complete his sentence. "As captain of your team, I'm going to have to confiscate that."

Aubrey's eyes grew large as he gaped at them. "You can't be serious!?"

"I am, actually," said Sirius with a grin as they took away the bottle of Firewhiskey from the reluctant fifth year. "Off with you now."

"Teenagers these days," chided James, looking gleefully at the bottle.

"You can never trust them," said Sirius with a smirk as they took a couple of swigs from the bottle. Little did they know how true his statement would turn out to be.

"Interesting flavor," remarked James, studying the bottle closely. "It doesn't say anything on the label though."

"Seems less potent somehow."

"Yeah? I actually feel a bit knackered," said James, yawning widely.

* * *

The library had taken a little longer than she had anticipated. Lily knew the shelves of Madam Pince's kingdom like the palm of her hand. However, she could never have predicted running into a bunch of Slytherins including her ex-bestfriend. They were blocking the straight path to the Defence section, and wanting to avoid any possible encounter, she took the winding root through the Herbology and History of Magic sections. This meant that her original 15 minute plan had increased to a full blown hour. By the time, she reached the common room, it was almost noon.

She had briefly thought of going to see Remus in the hospital wing, but figured that the boys would probably already be there. And there was no point trying to talk to her friend over the goofy and dramatic antics of Black and Potter Inc.

She chuckled to herself as she recalled some of their more clever pranks. She had been loathe to admit it before, but now that she knew them better and could almost be called good friends, it was much easier to appreciate their ingenuity and daring.

The common room was empty as most people were outside enjoying the unusually good February weather. Except for two people who were asleep on the floor. They looked quite young, probably first years. Lily wondered why they had fallen asleep in such a bizarre place. She went near them to wake them up gently and froze when she noticed their faces.

* * *

Sia had left her friends outside and had come into the castle in order to retrieve something from her dormitory. On her way up to the tower, she passed the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. This area was usually empty, but today she heard voices and something about their tone made her pause. There were two people standing next to the statue - Regulus Black and the pale, unimpressive looking boy she had once seen Peter speaking to.

"Well all that is perfectly fine, Barty," said Black, his voice soft and low. "But what about my dearest brother and his troublesome friends?"

"You needn't worry about that, Regulus," said the boy, who Sia realised was the son of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. "Wormtail's taken care of that." He had an odd grin on his face which made Sia extremely uncomfortable. Black didn't look too pleased either because he scoffed loudly.

"Wormtail, I still don't see how he fits into this," he said, his voice still soft but laced with annoyance.

"Nonsense. You don't see the merit of having-" And that's all that Sia heard of that conversation as their voices dropped even lower. Deciding that this was her cue, she padded up the stairs, bewildered by what she had just witnessed.

She didn't get very before before she was accosted by an extremely flustered Lily.

"Lils, what's wrong?' asked Sia, frowning at the state of her friend's face and hair, both of which were the same color.

"P-potter and Black! They're children!" she panted.

"Yes, I know that they can be quite immature at times, but what's new?"

"No! You don't understand! They've become children!"

"What?" asked Sia, genuinely confused by her friend's hysterical state.

"They must have come into contact with some kind of age reversing magic because as of now James Potter and Sirius Black have become 10 years younger and are wreaking havoc in our common room!"

Just then a loud crash was heard from the floor above as the combined laughter of two boys filled the corridors.

7 year old master pranksters on the loose. Morgana help us all…

* * *

 **Woah...**

 **Please review! And I have a surprise for you guys!**

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	20. All's Well That Ends Well?

**DOUBLE UPDATE! WOOOOO! I know, I'm amazing :3**

 **Ideal cast: Andrew Garfield as Remus Lupin. [Fanon again but you can't disagree with this terrific choice. Moony Lupin and Garfield are almost the same person. Plus he's so adorable omg]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Are you serious?" asked Sia, looking at Lily in horror.

"I am," came the reply from somewhere behind her. _Even as he child he didn't stop the terrible name puns,_ thought Sia in exasperation. She turned around and saw two boys standing with looks of utter deviousness painted on their faces.

James was a little taller than his friend, hair in a complete mess, grinning like he had just set Flich's pants on fire. His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief and delight, a recklessness reminiscent of his first few years at Hogwarts radiated from him.

Sirius had slightly shorter hair, his grey eyes turbulent and stormy. His cheeks were much fuller and his cold stare reminded Sia of many purebloods she had met in her life. Suddenly his face broke into a delighted grin as he whispered something in James' ear and they both ran off in glee.

"I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Lily.

"I'll get reinforcements," said Sia, making her way to the Ravenclaw common room. She quickly found Bedelia and Anna, asking them to find Dorcas as well as she went back to help Lily find the boys.

"JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER! PUT DOWN THAT BOOK!"

Lily was currently standing outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, arms spread wide and wand directed at mini-James. James looked extraordinarily happy with what he had accomplished, grinning at Lily and holding the book away from him, apparently goading Lily on. Whatever this books was, James didn't look anywhere near giving it back to her.

Suddenly, Sia heard a scream from her left. She turned around just in time to see her friends cast three different spells together.

" _Immobulus!_ " cried Anna, pointing her wand at Sirius. He immediately stopped in place, a frown starting to grace his features.

" _Rictusempra!_ " shouted Dorcas, making James erupt into a fit of giggles.

" _Accio book!_ " said Bedelia, as James' grip on the book loosened.

" _Silencio!_ " yelled Lily and SIa at the same time, pointing their wands at James and Sirius respectively.

Seeing their chance, both of them dashed towards James and picked him up. He was still giggling silently but together, the two of them managed to subdue him. Meanwhile, taking the hint from them, Anna, Bedelia and Dorcas also picked up Sirius.

"Room of Requirement! Make sure nobody sees us!" yelled Lily.

Bedelia ran ahead, clearing the path for them and soon they had reached the desired destination. She paced about in front of the wall three times and lo and behold, a door opened up.

"This place never ceases to amaze me," muttered Bedelia.

"Would you mind being amazed after we've dealt with these two?" grumbled Anna, clearly not liking the fact that Sirius was wriggling in their grasp.

They quickly put the boys on a sofa, making sure to have their wands pointed at them the whole time.

"Seems a little much doing this against two unarmed seven year olds," murmured Anna.

"Yes, but you're forgetting which unarmed seven year olds these are. They lit Filch's office on fire on their first week at Hogwarts," muttered Bedelia.

"Alright. Now, tell us exactly what happened," said Lily, firmly, "And don't even think about lying. I've got special access to a storeroom full of Veritaserum."

"And adding to the rather disturbing threat by Lily," said Dorcas, looking at the red-head pointedly, "We all have wands so don't even think about using that Dungbomb in your pocket, Sirius."

The older Black brother reluctantly gave up the offending article.

"Look, Evans, I'd love to help but I don't see what's in it for me and Padfoot," said James, grinning at Lily.

"And I really don't fancy those wands pointed menacingly at us," added Sirius, looking a little ticked off.

Suddenly, Lily jumped up and cornered James on the couch. Her hair had come out of her ponytail and she looked like she meant business.

"Potter, don't make me use my wand," she said to a slightly quivering James.

"I- uh-"

"Firewhiskey. You stink of it. When did you drink that?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.

Sirius' eyes went wide as realisation dawned on him.

"Aubrey!" he exclaimed. "That bugger had a bottle of Firewhiskey with him which we confiscated! That's the last thing I remember drinking before passing out!"

"Dorcas, come with me to the Gryffindor common room. Let's see if we can find that bottle. Meanwhile, you three stay here with James and Sirius. I'll try and see if I can get Peter to come and help you," said Lilt, tying up her hair in a ponytail again. James was gaping at her with wonder in his eyes while Sirius just continued frowning.

"Why can't we go with you?" he asked.

"Rather not have the wrath of McGonagall on our heads, thank you," said Sia, motioning for Lily and Dorcas to leave.

"Well, I'm bored," huffed Sirius.

"So?"

"Entertain me."

"If I try to Avada him, please stop me," Sia whispered to Anna.

* * *

"Here it is!" said Lily, picking up a nearly empty bottle of Ogden's finest. "That doesn't smell right," she said, sniffing the bottle.

"Definitely spiked," said Dorcas. "Do you think there was an Age Potion in it?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Lily, taking out her wand. She muttered a few incantations and the bottle slowly started glowing.

"Okay, hold on to this while I get my Potions book. I need it to verify the strength of the potion."

An hour later, Lily and Dorcas returned to the Room of Requirement to find Anna and Bedelia had left, leaving Sia with two sleeping boys.

"They passed out about half an hour ago," whispered Sia. "The others had a meeting to get to so I said that I'd be okay handling them while they're asleep. What did you find out?"

"It's not a very powerful potion. The effects should last about 6 hours," said Lily, sitting down next to Sia. She yawned and stretched her arms. "I'm exhausted."

"Same here," said Dorcas. "I don't want to be a complete prat but would you guys mind terribly if I left? I'm supposed to meet-"

"Benjy?" asked Sia, grinning at the blush on Dorcas' cheeks. "Yeah, go ahead. We'll be fine. Plus, I think the potion will wear off soon enough."

"Thanks! I'll come by and check on you later! See you!" she said, dashing off.

"She's adorable," said Sia, turning towards Lily. But her friend had fallen asleep, resting her head on the arm of the of the sofas. Sia smiled and put a cushion under her head so that she'd be more comfortable.

 _I have a good two hours of time to kill. Wow. What a fantastic time for me to not be carrying a book…_

"No… don't do that… stop…"

Sia whipped around to see where the muttering was coming from. Sirius was tossing and turning on the large divan, sweating and muttering in his sleep. He was probably having a nightmare.

"Sirius," whispered Sia. "Hey, it's alright. Nothing's going to happen to you. You're safe," she said while softly stroking his head.

After a few minutes, he calmed down and his breathing became steady. Sia smiled, even though he was such a jerk, he had still gone through hell with an abusive family. She propped herself up on her left elbow and stroked his head a few more times before falling asleep on the divan as well.

* * *

Sirius felt groggy. His neck had a weird ache and he could feel the dryness in his throat. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He wasn't sure if he was seeing things.

"Adams?"

She was sleeping right in front of him, her head resting on one of her palms. What was she doing here? And where exactly was here?

Sirius tried to look around and figure out where they were. His movement must have woken her up because she yawned, opened her eyes, let out a tiny shriek and promptly fell off the divan.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking over the side quickly.

She groaned and nodded her head. Gingerly picking herself up, she sat down on the divan next to him.

"You surprised me there," she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"How so?"

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you in front of me when I woke up."

He smirked. "Really? What did you think had happened?"

"Oh, grow up," she huffed, standing up and going to see if James had returned to his right age as well.

"Lily, wake up!" she said, shaking the red head. "James, you too!"

It took a while, but soon all four of them were fully awake and leaving the Room of Requirement.

"Well, that was a disaster," muttered James. "Thanks for helping us out."

Lily nodded her head and gave him a small smile.

"I helped too, just in case you were wondering," said Sia, clearly annoyed that James only appeared to register Lily's presence at this point.

"I think Adams is jealous," grinned Sirius, smirking at her.

"Bugger off!"

"Do you too ever stop arguing?" asked Lily in exasperation. "We've just gone through a rather harrowing day. How do you still have the energy?"

"Speaking of harrowing, I'd like to speak to that lovely Seeker of ours. Aubrey's a dead man," said James, darkly.

"James, don't be an idiot," said Lily.

"Too late for that," snorted Sirius. "But I agree with Prongs on this point. Our dear Bertram will not be getting off the hook so easily. Come on, Prongs!"

"Oh no you don't!" said Sia, grabbing onto Sirius' arm. "Lily, stop James!"

"On it!' said Lily, running off after James.

"Freakishly strong, aren't you Adams?" said Sirius, frowning at her. "Let me go before I hex you."

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Sirius!"

They both looked up to see Alison Rogers standing in the corridor. As usual, she looked stunning.

"I've been looking for you all day. Were you with Artemisia?" she asked, raising her eyebrow and gesturing to where Sia was holding Sirius' arm.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!

They both frowned at each other before Sirius shook off Sia's hand.

"I'm so sorry that you had to look for me the entire day," he said smoothly. "I can assure you that even if I was with someone else today, it was completely against my wish. Now, what is it that you wanted to see me about?"

He swerved her away from Sia, putting his hand on the small of her back. Before leaving, he looked back and raised an eyebrow at her.

"UGH!"

The next morning, Hogwarts was abuzz with a lot of different stories. James Potter had inflated his Seeker, Bertram Aubrey's head because of some unknown, and much-speculated reason. Lily Evans had received her first detention for hexing both Aubrey and Potter. But most importantly, Sirius Black and Alison Rogers had started dating.

* * *

 **Did you love it? Hate it? Not give a damn about it? PLEASE let me know!**

 **Also, I'm sorry if the story is a little confusing at this point but I'm building a storyline.**

 **Cheers!**


	21. You Win Some, You Lose Some

**A/N- Hey guys! You know why I'm updating so quickly, because exams SUCK. Sorry, can't deal with finals right now. Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter. After 20 chapters, I can finally say that the plot is moving. Just hope the build up was worth it lol.**

 **Ideal cast: Alexa Chung as Rowena Arden**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"I'm worried."

Sia was sitting in front of the fireplace in the Room of Requirement, talking to Rowena over the Floo Network on a Friday night.

"About what?"

"It's something I overheard," said Rowena, flickering in the flames. "I can't really go into the details but it has to do with Avery. I'm pretty sure that he's a Death Eater."

Sia pursed her lips at this bit of information. Rowena was alone in America, well not completely alone, but she wasn't at home where she knew most of the people around her. And one of the people she knew over there was a Death Eater.

"Not just that, I think he's planning something."

"What? You have to tell the Headmaster over there! Why-"

"No, not here. At Hogwarts."

"At Hogwarts?"

"Yes. He's planning something against Muggleborns. I don't know the details. It's too risky for me to try and find out. But I did hear one thing."

Sia held her breath in anticipation.

"Wormtail. Something to do with Wormtail. I have a feeling that this is the name of a person. But I don't know anything else."

"Sia, I'm really worried. Please take care. And watch out for Anna and Lily and the other Muggleborns. Stay safe. I've got to go. I have class now. Goodbye."

With that her face flickered and faded away into the fire.

* * *

Match day. Final match day. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match day. End of season match day. Sirius versus Sia match day.

The previous weekend, Slytherin had lost to Hufflepuff which meant that the Cup was practically in Gryffindor territory. Ravenclaw needed to win by a margin of 190 in order to go ahead of Gryffindor. And with James' superior Chaser skills, this seemed highly unlikely.

Sia wasn't too worried. Victory wasn't a possibility, so she had asked her team to play as freely and creatively as they wanted. Daniel, who had replaced Eve as the Keeper, was doing a great job coordinating with both the Beaters. In fact, he had even modified a few of the plays to be stronger defensively. Sia was considering the possibility of appointing him vice-captain the following year, a position that had been Samuel Davies' due to seniority.

Lily, Remus and Peter were not on her side this time. She rolled her eyes as James made an elaborate show of thanking his supporters. She was still a little pissed with Sirius and it appeared that the feeling was mutual.

 _Why he's acting pissed is beyond me… Bloody berk._

Dorcas and Benjy were both supporting Sia, as were Anna and Bedelia. House loyalty was a big thing at Hogwarts. Surprisingly, a lot of Slytherins were carrying Ravenclaw scarves as well. In fact, Regulus Black had the gall to mouth a 'good luck' to her as she exited the Great Hall after breakfast.

"Welcome to the last match of the season! Gryffindor practically have the Cup in the bag but let's see whether Ravenclaw can give them one last fight!"

"Gryffindor! Led by Captain and Chaser James Potter! Chasers Macmillan and Harris, Beaters Black and Crawley, Keeper Warbeck and Seeker Aubrey!"

"And followed by Ravenclaw! Led by Captain and Seeker Artemisia Adams! Chasers Ryan, Pike and Chadwick, Beaters Davies and Ryder, and Keeper Stevens!"

Nerves weren't really an issue as she shook hands with James and bit back a smirk at his mischievous grin. Some rivals they were.

All of this was forgotten as Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the Quaffle was released. James immediately grabbed it and soared towards the blue end of the pitch. Grace Ryder had taken Andrew's place and she was proving to be a great addition to the team. She and Sam were able to provide a good enough defense so that James' shot was easily saved by Daniel.

"Ooh! Looks like Potter may have his work cut out! Ravenclaw's midseason substitutions seem to be working even better! Oh- Potter with the Quaffle again - dodges Ryder - passes Macmillan who passes it back - dodges Davies - Potter is on his own now. He lines up, shoots and HE SCORES! Potter has scored the first goal of the match!"

Daniel didn't seem fazed and motioned to Sia to incorporate one of their new plays. It was complicated but she was ready to try it out.

"Liz!" she yelled at Elizabeth. "Go with number 11!"

The rest of the team moved into formation and waited for the Quaffle to be released again.

"Ryan has the Quaffle this time! Potter hot on her heels! She swerves to her right - OH! Black sends a Bludger slamming at her - but she dodges upward followed by Potter and the Quaffle is in Chadwick's possession! It appears that Ryan dropped the Quaffle while dodging the Bludger and Potter fell for the play! Chadwick racing towards the hoops - Crawley's Bludger misses by a mile - Black gaining speed and sends another Bludger which barely misses Chadwick - its Keeper versus Chaser now and CHADWICK SCORES! Ravenclaw have levelled the match!"

Half of the stadium erupted in cheers as the scoreboard was updated. Sia grinned and gave Daniel a thumbs up.

There was a brief period of intense play as neither team could manage to score. Then James suddenly had a stroke of inspiration and broke the deadlock. It was a brilliant bit of improvisation which enabled Harris to score past Daniel. After that it was all Ravenclaw.

"That's right! Ravenclaw are in top form! Potter and his team are floundering at this point as Ryan, Pike and Chadwick continue to annihilate their defense! What a turnaround by a team which was struggling to fill their vacancies just a year ago!"

Adrenaline was pumping through her at this point. She was so proud of her team. They actually stood a chance of winning.

"The score is now 70-20 in favor of Ravenclaw! Who would have thought this at the beginning of the match?"

"Sia!" she turned to see Elizabeth and Liam waving at her. "Go for gold!"

It was up to her now. If she caught the Snitch while they were up 50 points, the Cup would be theirs. She glanced at Aubrey's bulky frame and cocky smirk. Another reason to catch the Snitch.

She spied a flash of gold near Sirius. Racing forward on her broom, she made a beeline for him. Aubrey was hesitant but followed her nonetheless. Sirius looked absolutely flabbergasted as she hurtled towards him at breakneck speed. But his sudden movement caused the Snitch to flit away. Sia had approximately 7 seconds to try and avoid a head on collision with Sirius. As much as he deserved a good bump on the head, she didn't fancy risking her team's chances over his stupid face.

One of Sia's talents was the ability to remain extremely cool at the strangest moments. Therefore, as she swerved past Sirius with a whoosh, her only acknowledgment of his shocked expression was a slightly raised eyebrow and another rapid dive towards the direction of the Snitch.

If she had been observing Sirius at this point of time (which was not possible), she would have noticed that his mouth hung open for a fraction of a second before steely determination colored his eyes.

Sia swerved and dived, Aubrey tailing her expertly. The blasted Snitch was in a playful mood today. It didn't intend to get caught. But Sia had other plans. She saw a Bludger hurtling towards her from the corner of her eye and performed a vertical loop to evade it. The Snitch was still in sight but Aubrey was now neck and neck with her.

"CLEAR THE RAFTERS!" she heard someone shout. All of a sudden Aubrey had decelerated. Sia could see the Snitch in front of her but there were two Bludgers heading towards her from opposite sides. She had a choice. Grab the Snitch or dodge the Bludgers.

It was obvious which one she chose.

Sirius watched in horror as Sia didn't dodge the Bludgers as they had predicted. Instead, she attempted a wild snatch and caught the Snitch as both Bludgers collided with her. One hit her right leg and the other hit her left arm. There was a sickening crack and she spun around a few times before finally steadying her broom.

The crowd had gone silent. Sia picked up her right hand and revealed the tiny golden ball. Cheers erupted through the stadium as the match finally ended.

"RAVENCLAW HAVE DONE IT! AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT BY ADAMS AND HER TEAM! THEY WIN THE MATCH AND THE QUIDDITCH CUP!"

The players flew down to the pitch to congratulate each other on a great match. James looked a little downcast but rushed towards Sia nonetheless.

"Well done, the best team won today!" he said with a grin. He was about to give her a hug but she stopped him.

"Sorry, James. Not that I don't want to celebrate this great victory but my body's a tad bit Bludger'd up. I'll see you lot later," she added with a half smile, before grimacing in pain. Daniel and a couple of her other team members helped her into the castle as she made a beeline for the Hospital Wing.

* * *

The Ravenclaw victory party had been crashed by a few well-meaning Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. The lure of food and alcohol had managed to bring out even the slightly depressed losing captain out of his dorm. However, this was to be the site of a tremendous amount of drama.

Remus wasn't particularly fond of parties. He didn't like large gatherings like Sirius and James did. Nor did he have any special craving for the finer beverages in offering. What really annoyed him was Jessica Parker.

That girl had been speaking to him regularly for quite a while now. And try as he might, he couldn't shake off this strange uneasiness he felt around her. His plan was to try and avoid her for as long as possible and then dash out as soon as James got too tipsy to guilt him into staying.

Sirius had been battling with a squirming worm of guilt in his stomach ever since the match had gotten over. He kept replaying the moment when the two Bludgers had hit her. Damn it! Why hadn't she dodged them? She was turning out to be nothing but trouble.

"Hello Trouble," he said, walking to the table where she had been standing with her Keeper and one of the Chasers. She was wearing a loose jersey and a pair of ripped jeans. Barely party attire.

"Sirius," she said, looking at him inquiringly. The other two felt like their presence would serve as an intrusion and left them alone to talk or whatever they were going to do.

"You could've dodged them, you know," he said, softly.

"I know."

They stood in silence for a few moments, the party moving along in full swing. The music had just died down a little, and a few couples had claimed the dance floor for the slow song.

"Thanks, by the way," she said.

Sirius looked confused and raised his eyebrow in question.

"For being concerned." She gave him a full blown smile before turning back to watch the rest of the people at the party.

Sirius felt the squirming reduce and slowly vanish, as a small smile curved the corners of his mouth as well.

"So, how're things going with you and Rogers?" she asked after a while.

He wasn't expecting this question. Especially not from her. "Good. She's pretty knowledgeable and can keep the conversations interesting."

She snorted at his reply. "She's fit as hell, Sirius. You can just say it. Everyone knows that. If I were editor of Witch Weekly, I'd sign her on as the cover girl."

"Alright, Trouble. No need to get violent," he said teasingly.

"Is this going to be a permanent thing?" she asked, scrunching up her nose in distaste.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On how much it annoys you," he smirked.

"Asshat," she muttered, and rolled her eyes.

"Trouble it is."

Sirius felt oddly elated as the night grew longer. He wasn't quite sure of the reason but it was definitely something to do with the conversation he had had with Adams about Alison. He spotted Remus trying to leave early but didn't stop him. He'd been irritable for the past few weeks, none of them had managed to figure out why. Plus, Sirius much prefered bickering about the Quidditch League finals with Adams. She was delightfully easy to rile up.

"How can you say that? He's the best Chaser they've ever had!" she exclaimed, irritation building in her voice.

"I'm just saying, if he can't get past the Wasp's Keeper, then he isn't of much good."

"But that's his Achilles heel!"

"His what?"

"Greek mythology. Don't you read?" she asked, clearly annoyed at more than one thing.

"You wound me, Trouble. Such presumptuous accusations. Tsk tsk," he sighed, holding a hand over his heart.

"Oh, shove off, you wanker," she said, flopping down on the couch. He couldn't resist this opportunity and plonked down beside her.

"Don't you have something better to do? Like snog your girlfriend? Stop bothering me."

"This is way too much fun," he grinned at her.

"By Merlin's saggy underpants, what the-" she said, gaping at something behind him.

Sirius turned around to see James and Lily snogging the living daylights out of each other.

Slowly, everyone started to notice this particular development as well and soon the entire place had gone silent. This caused the couple to break apart and be greeted by many pairs of curious eyes.

"I- er-"

There was no respite from thereon as cheers and whistles went off for the most unlikely event of the 20th century. Several people exchanged Galleons as certain bets had been won and lost.

Sirius turned to look at Sia and all she did was bite back a grin and wink.

* * *

 **Okay, I know the final matches are in May but creative license :3 So these actually take place before Easter break.**

 **Tell me what you think of the story so far? How are the characters? What do I need to work on? Etc.**

 **I'd love to hear from you.**

 **Cheers x**


	22. The Power of Conversation

**A/N This is a bit of a filler. But I wanted to post it anyway because it does build on a few important points. Hope you like it!**

 **Ideal Cast: Severus Snape played by Ezra Miller. [I know he's already part of the HP franchise, but he's just so perfect for young Snape!]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Lily had locked herself away in one corner of the library. Stupid victory party. Stupid cheering teenagers. Stupid feelings for stupid James Potter.

Not that she regretted kissing James at all. The tension between them had been building for a while and it felt brilliant to finally give in to her feelings. There was no doubt about it. She fancied that toerag.

Lily was never one to deny her feelings. She had always been a firm follower of standing up for what she believed was right. And fancying James was definitely one of those things.

Sure, she would never have thought this possible before the beginning of sixth year. But with everything that had happened in the last couple of years, she felt like she knew James. Not to mention Sirius, Remus and Peter as well. She had been quick to judge them all, barring Remus. And she wasn't afraid to admit her mistake and start afresh.

Remus had a gentle demeanour and that would cause most people to believe that he was the one who looked after and took care of his friends. The one who was the most sensible and the most practical. In truth, he was the disaster of the group. His sleeping schedule was completely haywire and he would survive on chocolate frogs for days if not for his friends. Contrary to popular belief, Remus was the least open of the Marauders. It was the effect of his condition, coupled with his natural aloof nature - but Remus Lupin was the least sorted amongst his group of his.

Peter was probably the least impressive to look at, but was probably the most resourceful. His confidence was slightly shaky because he was constantly overshadowed by James and Sirius in particular. However, Lily had come to realise that Peter was a great judge of character. He was extremely observant and picked up tiny details in people's behavior. He lacked the extravagance of his friends but made up for it with an odd sort of subtlety.

Upon first glance, Sirius appeared arrogant, aloof and judgemental. With time, Lily had figured out that these had been cultivated by Sirius in order to shield himself. Not just from the abusive behavior of his family, but also from the shallow and insincere attention from most of the girls at Hogwarts. He was undoubtedly the most handsome guy in the school, and his arrogance and aloofness were defenses against those who could hurt him. What he wanted was love and warmth and acceptance - and this craving had been met by his three friends. Which was why he would willingly give his life for them.

Then there was James. He was the only one who had a healthy, happy family. This showed in a lot of his behavior. James was always the one to make sure his friends were eating properly or getting enough sleep. He was generous and extremely warmhearted. His bigheadedness had thankfully subsided with age. James Potter was born to be an inspiration and a leader. And it was his personality which filled the void in each of his friends' lives.

Lily didn't realise that she had begun doodling on her parchment until a voice cleared its throat behind her.

"Hey Alison," she said, smiling at the blonde haired girl.

"Hey Lily. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," she said, moving slightly to make place for her.

"Have you finished the Transfiguration essay that we're supposed to submit after Easter break?" asked Alison, bringing her loose braid over her shoulder.

"No, I was actually going to start working on that now. Why? Do you need any help?"

"Yeah, we don't focus on Transfiguration as much as Charms in Ilvermorny," she said. "And McGonagall's super strict so I'm a little worried about finishing it."

"Well," said Lily with a grin. "I hope you're aware that your boyfriend is probably one of the best Transfiguration students at Hogwarts."

"Really?" she asked. "Now that you mention it, he does do extra well in those classes."

"So, you should probably ask him for help. He'd be much better than me."

"Lily, I think you're under some sort of misunderstanding. Sirius and I are dating but we aren't in a serious relationship."

"I don't understand," said Lily, frowning slightly.

"He's hot. And I'm attracted to him. Plus, he seems to be attracted to me as well. But there aren't any real feelings involved. Honestly, if we broke up tomorrow, it wouldn't make much of a difference to either of us."

"I never knew…"

"Hey, its no big deal. In fact, I was actually surprised that he agreed to go out with me. I thought he had something going on with Artemisia Adams."

"Sia?" asked Lily, incredulously. "Why would you think that? They barely used to get along before, and even now it's difficult for them to go fifteen minutes without arguing."

"Maybe," she said with a shrug. "I'm just telling you what I thought."

"Okay. So you won't go to Sirius for help?"

"I could, but we don't really have a lot in common. So we don't end up spending much time together. And he seems so much happier when he's hanging out with his friends. Would it be too much to ask you to help me out instead?"

"No, it's fine," smiled Lily. "I don't mind working with you at all."

"That's great! Thank you so much! I feel so relieved!" said Alison with a dazzling smile.

* * *

Sirius needed some time to think. There had just been a blazing row in their dorm. James had finally asked Remus what was bothering him, and soon all four of them had been engaged in a screaming match. Finally, Peter had had the good sense to drag Sirius out of the dorm because he had the shortest temper. James was left to deal with Remus.

"What's up?"

He looked up to see Adams standing in front of him with a book in her hand.

"Just out for a stroll."

"I just ran into Peter. He told me about the row."

Sirius rolled his eyes and dug his hands into his pockets. There was an empty bench nearby and he went and sat down on it. Adams took the hint and quietly sat down beside him.

"What was it about?" she asked.

"This and that. It was one of those stupid things which escalates into something enormous for no bloody reason."

"Okay. Well, are you still angry?"

"No, not really," he said with a sigh. "Just annoyed at myself. Can't control my ruddy temper."

"I hear you."

"What?"

"About the temper bit? I know what it feels like. I hate it, honestly. Some things just fire me up so easily. It's pathetic."

"You look cool and composed most of the time though," pointed out Sirius.

"So do you."

"Is there anything specific that was bothering you?" she asked after a few moments.

"N- yes. Yes there was. The incident with Snape at the end of fifth year."

Sia nodded her head, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"I didn't stop to think even for one second how that would have affected Moony. I was just so angry with Snape for snooping around. I don't know what would have happened if James hadn't gone after him."

"In retrospect, that probably wasn't your best decision," said Sia, giving him a small smile.

"I feel so guilty. I don't know how to make up for it. And it's not like I haven't done stupid things like this before. Even you pointed it out to me," he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you can't get over it."

"I cannot explain the amount of rage inside me, Sirius," she said softly. "Sometimes it scares me and I feel like I should just distance myself from everyone around me."

"But it's not just rage. I have a lot of strong emotions, which have never been expressed or had an outlet. I realise these things better now. Before I was just too frightened by the force of my own emotions. But the thing is that as soon as you accept your emotions, they begin to lose their power over you. Acceptance is key."

"Didn't know you were a philosopher," said Sirius with a smirk.

"Tosspot," muttered Sia, elbowing him hard.

"Becoming more and more violent by the day, aren't we Trouble?" he asked, grinning at her cheekily.

"Fuck off."

"Language, my lady," he gasped in mock horror. "Leash that tongue lest some unfortunate mortal believe that thou art simply a lady in appearance and a witch in spirit."

"Excuse me?" frowned Sia. "Why are you talking like a 16th century Muggle dramatist?"

"It is one of my many virtues. To be able to assume the tongue of an age long past."

"I will hex you. I mean it."

"Trouble, thou art thine most pleasant self when colored with the passion of thine blood."

"Stop calling me that!"

"What's in a name? A rose by any name would smell as sweet."

"Now you're quoting Shakespeare?!" she asked, staring incredulously. "Why?"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"This was a mistake. I'm sorry I asked you if you were feeling alright. I shall never commit this indiscretion ever again!" she said, stomping off in the direction of the library.

Sirius grinned after her. He was feeling much better now. Ready to face Moony and work things out with the rest of his friends.

* * *

 **Like I said, filler. But important nonetheless. Please review! I really look forward to some sort of feedback.**

 **Cheers!**


	23. East Wind

**A/N Hey guys. Back with another chapter. Hope you like it!**

 **Ideal cast: Skandar Keynes as Regulus Black.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Easter break meant that the castle was fairly empty. A lot of students went back to visit their families at this time, but the rush wasn't as much as Christmas. Bedelia had gone back to visit her family in France, so Anna and Sia had the dorm to themselves.

That wasn't all, word was out that the Marauders were planning a big prank because things had been a little slow this year. Anna was extremely wary, preferring to stay in her dorm and only leaving for meals. Sia tried to dissuade her, but she was adamant.

"We've got NEWTs next year, Sia. We can't afford to get distracted. Do you realise how difficult this is going to be? I mean, it'll be our last year in September! We won't get a chance to make up for a bad grade after that."

"I understand all that, Anna. But that doesn't mean that you're going to stay cooped up in the dorm the entire Easter break," said Sia, trying to make her see reason.

"No. I'm going to be studying and so should you!"

"Fine. Stay here then."

Sia went into the bathroom and angrily brushed her teeth. Anna was known to freak out about exams occasionally, but Sia thought that this was a rather peculiar time. Plus, the assignments that they had been given weren't that difficult either. It was definitely tougher than OWLs but nothing to freak out like that.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her hair had grown slightly but she insisted on cutting it whenever it reached below her shoulder. She was still pretty tanned from Quidditch season and her shoulder still had a mark from a nasty injury during the last game. She quickly pulled her hair into a high ponytail and slipped on a loose t shirt and her ripped jeans. She wasn't going to let Anna spoil her holiday mood.

On her way to the Great Hall, she spotted Eve. It was strange. They had completely stopped talking and she still maintained a nasty attitude towards her. Sia still had trouble believing that all this had happened a few months ago. It was like 5 years of friendship and team bonding never meant a thing. In fact, Eve was currently talking to Jill Waters, the seventh year Hufflepuff she had seen her with a couple of times before. But that wasn't all. Along with them stood a couple of Slytherins whom she didn't recognise as from their year.

 _Why are you doing this, Eve…_

"Hello. Watch out, or you might end up hurting that shoulder of yours again."

Sia was brought out of her revery when a pair of arms held her lightly by the shoulders. She looked up to see Adrian Bradley, one of the Ilvermorny exchange students who had been spending a lot of time with the Gryffindors.

"I'm sorry?"

"I watched you play in the final," he said. "You were bloody brilliant."

Sia pursed her lips to prevent herself from laughing. This seemed like a very familiar situation. A guy complimenting her Quidditch skills. A rather handsome guy. She knew where this had gone last time. A broken heart and a broken nose.

"Thank you. Although I got the feeling that you were supporting James and his team," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah well, it definitely started out that way but after watching you play, I couldn't help switch allegiances."

He had a brilliant smile, and his blue eyes twinkled with mischief. Sia felt like the flirting wasn't a problem because she definitely didn't want to get into a relationship with him. He seemed far too full of himself. However, the attention was definitely flattering.

"So, were you headed down for lunch?" he asked. "Why don't we go together?"

"That won't be difficult considering that it's in the same direction."

He chuckled slightly and walked alongside her. Once they entered the Great Hall, they saw that there were very few students present. The Ravenclaw table was almost completely empty, save for a few second years.

"I'd hate for you to eat all by yourself," he said, smoothly. "Why don't you sit here at the Gryffindor table? I know that you're friends with Potter and his pals."

Sia shrugged and followed him. What was the harm in sitting there? She'd get to see James, Remus and Sirius. Peter and Lily had both gone back for the break.

"Sia! Welcome to our table! How may we be of service to you?" asked James, waving his hand with a grand flourish.

"Honestly, Prongs, let the girl breath before you poke her eye out," said Remus, rolling his eyes. "Sia, how come Anna isn't with you?"

"She's studying," said Sia, piling her plate with food.

"Woah! Slow down, Trouble. Leave some for the rest of us as well," said Sirius, grinning at her. Sia rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't worry, Artemisia, if they don't tease you, a part of their meal remains undigested," said Alison, winking at her.

"I know. And it's Sia," she replied, giving her a knowing smile.

"I'm shocked! How could you doubt our intentions like that?" asked Sirius, in mock horror. Sia was coming to realise that he was a huge drama queen.

"Speaking of intentions," said James, straightening his glasses. "What are yours concerning our lovely friend over here?"

Sia choked on her pumpkin juice as all eyes turned towards Adrian.

"Prongs, what are you on about?"

"It's obvious. Bradley here, just asked Sia to have lunch with him. And I can see that he specifically chose to sit next to her rather than opposite. So tell us," said James. "What are your intentions?"

"I intend to ask her out," he said, after a short pause. "And if she says yes, I'd like to take her to Hogsmeade this weekend."

Sia wondered why this was happening to her. Now all eyes were on her. James looked pretty gleeful while Remus looked mildly discomfited. Alison was smiling at her warmly, as if giving her a thumbs up regarding her friend. Adrian was staring at her with his cerulean blue eyes, and Sirius' face was completely unreadable.

"Okay."

"So you'll go with me?" asked Adrian, his face breaking into a smile.

"Yes. I'd love to," she said, smiling as well.

"Fantastic! We'll be going there as well. Why not make it a double date?" suggested Sirius suddenly.

"Umm, well-"

"That's settled then! Saturday at 11. We'll meet by the carriages."

Sia's bewildered expression was mirrored by both Remus and Adrian. James looked disappointed and Alison looked very thoughtful. It was only Sirius who appeared to be bright and cheery, quickly finishing off his lunch before anyone else.

* * *

"Sia!"

She turned around to see Remus walking up to her. It was Saturday morning, a Hogsmeade day. THE Hogsmeade day to be precise. She wondered why Remus was looking so flustered.

"How are you?" he asked, looking slightly abashed at coming up with such a blaise question.

Sia bit back a smile and tilted her head to one side. "I'm alright. How are you?"

"Good. I'm good." He seemed at a loss for words at this point.

"Remus? Was there something you wanted to talk about?" she asked, probing him gently.

"No. Well, yes. It's about, well, Sirius. I mean, his declaration of a double date. Are you alright with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, ugh… This is your first date with Adrian. I didn't think you'd like to spend it with an already established couple."

"Oh. Well, I don't think it'll be much of a problem," she said, thoughtfully "In fact, it'll probably be a lot easier for me because I won't have to deal with the pressure of a one-on-one."

"Okay? So you're fine with this?" he asked once more.

"Absolutely. Thank you for asking though, Remus. It was really thoughtful of you."

"I'm just relieved that Sirius isn't causing any more trouble," he said with a nervous grin.

"I think we all are."

"Hey. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Sia turned around to see Adrian standing behind her with a playful smirk on his face. She caught herself blushing slightly. Well, who wouldn't? Adrian was exceptionally handsome. Sia found her face starting to heat up as he locked his blue eyes with hers. He was very tall and wiry, wearing jeans and a grey tshirt which showed his biceps a little too clearly.

"I see that our party is complete. Shall we head down to Hogsmeade?" said Sirius, breaking their moment with his suave tone. "Adams, Bradley, keep up!"

Sia felt a little annoyed at Sirius' upbeat behaviour. It felt like he was trying to meddle. Which was ridiculous, because why would Sirius meddle with such a random thing?

Instead, she chose to speak to Adrian. She found that he was quite intelligent, a little arrogant and very keen on becoming an Auror someday.

"I wanted to ask you something," she said, as they walked to The Three Broomsticks. "You're from Ilvermorny, but you've got, well… You've got a posh London accent."

He chuckled as she completed her sentence. "Well, that's because I was homeschooled for the first 15 years of my life. We used to move around England a lot so I couldn't really attend one particular school. But my father's settled down in the States now, which is why I started at Ilvermorny last year."

"Very interesting. I'm s-"

"Adams! Look sharp, we won't get tables otherwise."

Sia scowled at Sirius as he put an arm around Alison's waist. "I'm sure you can flirt your way around Rosmerta. It's not like you haven't done it before."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, love," he said, not even looking at her as he kissed Alison lightly.

Sia could feel her insides boiling but then Adrian placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her into the restaurant. She gave him a small smile and he winked at her in return.

Once the food had been ordered, Sia tried to focus on everything but Sirius. He was being an annoying dick and she had no idea why. Alison had noticed this as well and was trying to deflect some of his comments.

"I know you're really into Quidditch as well, Sia. Tell me a little about your favorite team?" she asked, trying to draw the attention away from the weird hostility.

Sia appreciated the effort and tried to hold onto the conversation thread but every time she would get close to saying something to Adrian, Sirius would do something obnoxious like drop his fork or snog Alison very loudly.

The final straw was when she and Adrian were in the middle of a very interesting conversation and Sirius knocked over the mug of Butterbeer on her.

"Bugger. Don't know what's gotten into me today," he said, not looking the least bit remorseful.

Sia didn't say a word but got up, slammed her money down on the table and walked out. Adrian followed her out but she could hear Alison preventing Sirius from leaving.

"Slow down!"

"I'm really pissed off, Adrian," she said, changing into a brisk walk.

"I know. But just hold on," he said, catching up with her with his long legs. "I don't know what's gotten into Black but don't let that spoil our date. Let's go back to the castle. Maybe you could give me a tour?"

Sia sighed and nodded her head slowly. Once they were back, she felt a lot calmer. Adrian gave her a crooked smirk and she felt that blush rise up again. Exploring the castle meant that they'd be visiting a lot of empty spots. She felt like she knew what he had in mind.

They started snogging in an empty corridor near the Transfiguration courtyard. Adrian seemed like an expert at this and Sia relished the heated kisses they were sharing. She had never done something like this before - jumped into something so quickly. But her anger at Sirius and her attraction towards Adrian had made something pop inside her, and now she was locked in a lip battle with him. Not many thoughts were going through her mind, as the snogging continued. Adrian smelled nice, his cologne wasn't very strong and he caressed her in exactly the right places.

"Sia!"

They broke apart to see Anna standing there with a mortified look on her face.

"Anna, what's going on?" asked Sia, straightening her clothes a little.

"Mary. S-she's been attacked."

"What?!"

"We don't know what happened. I was walking to the library when I saw her crumpled on the floor, blood flowing out of the cut on her head. I-I took her to Madam Pomfrey but she doesn't know what to do. The injury is the result of some Dark magic."

Anna was trembling by now. Sia ran up to her side and held her tightly. "It's okay. Don't worry. Mary will be fine."

"Guys, the Healers from St. Mungo's are here," said Bedelia, running up to them. "They're transporting Mary there right now."

Sia felt her stomach drop even as Anna shuddered in her arms. Adrian was standing there frowning, his face pale and worried.

Mary McDonald was a Muggleborn. And her attack was a message foreshadowing the imminent war. Rowena had been right to be worried. And this was just the beginning.

* * *

 **If this felt a bit rushed, I'm sorry. I wrote different parts of this chapter at different times because I binge-watched Riverdale. Cole Sprouse tho *_***

 **Anyway, please review!**

 **Cheers x**


	24. The Devil is in the Detail

**A/N Back with another one! So one of the reviewers asked about how Bedelia could have told them about the Healers when she was supposed to be away for Easter break. Hope this chapter clears that up for you.**

 **Ideal Cast: Ben Barnes as Sirius Black [my fantasy tbh *.*]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"How come you're back early?"

Bedelia slumped against the back of her chair and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "My dad had some urgent work at the Ministry. So we had to cut short our trip."

Sia nodded her head and glanced at Anna who had fallen asleep on the sofa. Mary had been transferred to St. Mungo's a little earlier and McGonagall was currently talking to the Gryffindors to find out what happened.

"An entire Muggle family was slaughtered yesterday. It's just getting worse." Bedelia had left her hair open, trying to massage her own scalp to get rid of her headache.

"We can't deny that we're in the middle of a war anymore," said Sia, stroking Anna's head and frowning into the fireplace.

Next morning, they met up with James, Remus and Sirius, eager to know whether Mary's attacker had been found out. Anna had been called to Dumbledore's office once he had returned from the hospital. There were many stories to exchange.

"Minnie's straight out worried," said James, referring to their head of House. "Mary's in a pretty bad state. And we have no idea who might have done this."

"I'm sure we all have an idea of who could've done this," said Sirius, darkly. "This reeks of snakes."

"Padfoot, we have no proof of any Slytherin involvement," warned Remus.

"Sure, Moony. But who else have you seen parading around threatening Muggleborns?" asked James, raising his eyebrows.

"What did Dumbledore say?" Bedelia directed towards Anna.

"He just asked me about how I found Mary. Nothing else."

"We have nothing to go on, then," sighed Remus.

"That isn't necessarily true," said Sia. "I didn't tell any of you about this before but…"

She narrated what exactly Rowena had told her, mentioning Avery's name and the threat against Muggleborns. There were many sharp intakes of breath, a frown creasing Sirius' brow while Remus and James looked very worried. Bedelia and Anna were both looking pale, and Sia wished she had kept this information to herself.

"So what do we do now?" asked Sia, trying to get rid of her discomfort.

"I think we should wait for Lily to come back," said James. "She might be able to give us some idea that we haven't thought of yet. She has been friends with Snivellus for many years now."

Sirius swung his arm around James' shoulder, clearly understanding how difficult it was for him to say this out loud.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," said Remus. "Lily's back tomorrow evening."

Later that day, Sia was in the library, looking up a few books on Transfiguration. The assignment was due on Tuesday and she had left it till the last minute as usual. Nearing the corner of one shelf she heard a couple of voices talking in a hushed whisper.

"...hair is positively…"

"...so full of it!"

"...slut…"

Sia's curiosity was piqued. She peered across to get a glimpse of the girls who were clearly bitching about another girl. To her surprise, she saw two seventh year Hufflepuffs pointing at Alison with barely disguised envy on their faces. Their faces seemed familiar, and Sia walked up to them to hear what they were saying.

"She's rather tall. Too tall, in fact," said one of them.

"I'm sure she stuffs her bra. There's no other way she can fill out her uniform like that."

Sia had heard enough. "What're you doing?"

They turned to her in surprise and greeted her.

"Why are you talking about another person like that?" she asked, her voice low.

"Oh no. It's nothing like that. We were just observing a few things about that exchange student," said one of the girls.

"Yes, she's rather promiscuous, don't you think?" asked the other girl, eyeing Alison with disgust.

"Promiscuous?" asked Sia.

"Oh yes! The way she carries herself."

"And not to mention the way she plays with her hair!"

"So are you saying that she's not beautiful?" asked Sia, moving towards them slowly.

"No, no. She is. But it's just that…"

"It's just that she's very aware of it," said Sia.

"Exactly!" they both said, beaming at the fact that Sia had understood their thoughts.

"She's beautiful and she's aware of her beauty. So that somehow makes her a target for slut-shaming," mused Sia.

The two girls had gone silent.

"Because the only proper thing to do is to always be unaware of your positives and continue to focus on your flaws. Right?" she asked.

"N-no," said one of the girls.

"There should be a law somewhere about women and how they should conduct themselves so that others don't view them as 'promiscuous'," continued Sia, pretending to think deeply about the matter.

"That's not what we meant. We were only trying to-"

"Look, both of you will be leaving Hogwarts soon. But think about this during your last months over here. You just engaged in a minor form of slut-shaming where you were passing snide comments about Alison because she wears her hair in a particular way and dresses up differently from most of the girls at Hogwarts. I'd suggest that you don't go around flinging words like 'slut', 'whore', 'prude' and others of similar sentiment. It's hurtful, and you're doing a lot of damage which will ultimately affect you as well."

The two girls gulped slowly, and turned around to leave.

"Oh, and 30 points from Hufflepuff."

* * *

It was after curfew that Sia trudged back to the Ravenclaw Tower. She had just finished her patrol and felt like she was going to fall asleep right in the middle of the corridor. It had been a rough day. She was still annoyed about what had happened in the library. She couldn't believe that seventh years were doing something like that. Thankfully, Alison had missed her presence and she had been able to go back to her work once the two Hufflepuffs had left.

She walked up the moving staircase and heard a shuffling noise from the other end of the corridor. Taking out her wand, she snuck behind one of the statues, hoping that it wasn't someone from Slytherin. She didn't particularly want to face any of their antagonism so late at night.

There was nobody there and Sia was just about to leave when she saw Sirius appear out of nowhere. He had James' Invisibility Cloak tucked under one arm, raking his other hand through his hair. He must have been breaking some rule, there was no other reason for him to be using the cloak. She thought of intercepting him but stopped short at the sight of his face.

His eyes were red and puffy, a few tear tracks still present on his cheeks. Sniffing through his red nose, he quickened his pace and dashed off towards the Gryffindor common room.

She stood speechless for a few moments as the scene in front of her sunk in.

Sirius Black had been crying.

* * *

"So I spoke to Severus," said Lily, sitting beside Sia at the Ravenclaw table.

Sia raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"I asked him if he knew anything about Mary's attack."

"And?"

Lily's downcast expression told her that Snape hadn't been too keen to divulge any information that might implicate his housemates. Which meant that they were back to square one.

"How is prep going?" she asked, after a long silence.

"It's alright. It's just so difficult to focus when the Daily Prophet keeps reporting such terrible incidents," said Lily, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "The muggle town of Cokeworth was attacked and they still don't know how many casualties were found."

Sia nodded her head and sighed. The anti-muggle violence had been escalating in the past few weeks. All the heads of Houses had spoken to their respective Houses about safety and unity at this crucial point in the war.

"What about Anna and Bedelia? How're they holding up?" she asked, noticing their absence at the table.

"Anna's quite shaken, but she's strong. She's faced a lot of trouble before because she's a muggleborn. Bedelia seems a little preoccupied, though. It's probably because her father works so closely with the Auror Department. She's concerned for his safety."

"Hmm. The boys haven't been so cheery either," mused Lily. "James has been getting letters from his parents regularly. The pureblood circles have started taking sides as well. Remus has always had great perspective on things and he's usually the one who calms Peter down whenever he has a bout of anxiety. What I'm really surprised by is Sirius' attitude. He's been really quiet the past few days. He barely speaks to James and Remus, and I can swear that there are dark circles under his eyes."

Sia perked up her ears at this last bit of information. So she hadn't been completely wrong when she had thought that Sirius had been acting weird lately. Ever since the night she had seen him crying, she had noticed that he had become very subdued and slightly depressed. She wondered what the matter was.

They still hadn't spoken after the disastrous double date. Too many things had happened since then. She hadn't spoken to Adrian after that either. They had come to a mutual understanding that whatever they had was not going to work out. And now that the final exams were a couple of days away, she didn't think she'd get the chance to speak to Sirius either.

"Have you seen Alison today?" asked Lily, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Umm, no. I don't think so. Why?"

"She needs some help with one of the Transfiguration spells."

"Really? Why didn't she ask Sirius? I thought that'd be the natural thing to do."

"Yeah, I told her that as well. But she said she'd prefer to learn from me," said Lily, rolling her eyes. "Besides, they've broken up so that might be a slightly awkward arrangement."

"Lily, we have patrol in ten minutes. Are you done?" asked Remus, coming up to their table. "Hey Sia, all good?"

Sia nodded her head absentmindedly as Lily quickly finished the rest of her meal and followed Remus out the hall.

* * *

"After today's practical we'll be free!"

"Shut up, Anna," groaned Bedelia, pulling the pillow over her head.

"I'm not affected by your negativity because freedom awaits!"

Sia bit back a grin as Anna twirled around the dorm before falling over a pile of clothes.

"While you lot sort out your morning, I'll head down for breakfast," she said, picking up her wand.

"Now? But it's so early!"

"Going to take a stroll as well, Anna. You could've accompanied me if you hadn't been so busy twirling about your impending freedom," said Sia, grinning at Anna as she stuck out her bottom lip.

Sixth year was almost over. It felt strange to think that she only had a year left at Hogwarts. Everything had gone by so quickly. Next year would be an even bigger blur with NEWTs hanging on their shoulders.

But there were still some things to look forward to. Lily had invited them all to her vacation home in France for her 17th birthday. So far, James, Remus and Sirius had confirmed. Bedelia would be away for her cousin's wedding and Anna and Dorcas still hadn't gotten permission from their families. Sia was quite excited. She had never been to France before and her parents' go-ahead meant that she would definitely be going.

She hadn't been paying attention while walking and had somehow wandered up to the Astronomy Tower. It was weird to see it in the morning. The bright light streaming in made it difficult for her to make out the figure standing there. Only upon closer inspection did she realise that it was Sirius. He was gazing outside with a wistful expression on his face.

"Sirius?"

He turned around, not really startled by her presence. His hair was dancing in the soft breeze, his grey eyes thoughtful and distant.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hesitantly. It had been playing on her mind ever since Lily had mentioned it that day at the dinner table. Sirius was probably so low because of his break up with Alison. She had never seen him date anyone seriously or be in a relationship of sorts. Perhaps this time, he had really been affected by things.

"Yeah," came his curt reply.

"Look, I don't mean to overstep but break ups happen all the time. You'll get over it. You'll find someone else. Don't dwell on this for so long. It's not the end of the world," she said in one breath.

Sirius' forehead creased slightly as she stopped for breath.

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't be upset. You have every right to be. Alison is a great girl and I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you two. But you can't let that break up bring you down like this. Everything will be alright."

"You think that I'm upset?" he asked, slowly.

"Aren't you?" she asked, slightly defensive.

"And you think the reason is my break up with Rogers?" he continued.

"Isn't it?" asked Sia, her voice uncertain.

Suddenly, Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"What's the matter? Why are you laughing?" she asked, worried and annoyed at the same time.

"No, no. I am upset. But it's not because of my break up," he said, stopping to catch his breath. "I'm upset because my Uncle Alphard passed away a few days ago."

"Wha- Oh, I'm so sorry," mumbled Sia, feeling extremely embarrassed. What exactly had she said to Sirius just now? She couldn't even remember. She must look like such a fool.

"Yeah. He was the only one from my family who liked me and whom I liked as well. Except my cousin Andromeda. So yeah, I was pretty gutted when I heard about his passing."

"Right."

Sia wanted the floor to swallow her up at this point. Why in Merlin's name had she opened her bloody mouth?

Sirius walked over to where she was standing and leaned towards her slightly.

"You were worried about me," he said matter-of-factly.

"I-I-" was all that Sia could manage to splutter under his mischievous gaze.

"It's cute," he said, smirking at her and giving her nose a tiny flick.

Sia felt her face heat up by at least a hundred degrees as Sirius dug his hands into his pockets and walked away. She touched the spot on her nose where he had just flicked her, a strange fluttering taking place in her stomach.

* * *

Anna was the last one to the Great Hall. She was still tying her hair in a ponytail while rushing down in order to snag a bit of toast before the last exam.

Her eyes suddenly landed on a diary lying near the corner of the main corridor. Some student must have dropped it in their hurry. She picked it up to return it to one of the teachers. The cover was a very inky black, the binding new and the smell of fresh leather wafting from it. For some reason, she felt curious and decided to open it.

Her legs froze in place as she saw what was written on the first page.

 _Mary McDonald_

 _Severe Head Injury_

 _30th April, 1977_

* * *

 **Hey guys! Hope you're liking the story so far. The next chapter will continue during the term break. I've got some interesting things lined up for that. So please keep reading and review the story to let me know how it's coming along. I'd really appreciate your feedback.**

 **Cheers x**


	25. Shape of You

**A/N Hey! So I'm back with another super quick update but this is probably going to be the last quick update for a while. Unless I feel really inspired. Anyway, I tried to do something different with this chapter. Hopefully it turned out alright.**

 **Ideal Cast: Lily Collins as Artemisia Adams [the last one left to cast yay!]**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

They were walking through Hogsmeade to reach the Hogwarts Express. Sia, Lily and Remus were busy helping the first years while the others trudged one towards the train.

"So when are we meeting at Evans' place?" asked Sirius, once they had reached the platform.

"Lily's birthday was in January, but her parents decided to let her celebrate during the break because it's a very important wizarding birthday," said James. "She said we should aim to arrive around 30th July."

"Brilliant. And how are things going on that front?" asked Sirius, grinning at his best friend.

"Well…" James had turned slightly pink.

"Oh come on, mate! You've been in love with her forever. She clearly fancies you. And you two have already snogged!"

"Yeah, but…"

"Hey! What're you two talking about?" asked Lily, coming up to them and depositing her bags. Sirius opened his mouth but was silenced by a rough nudge from James.

"Just talking about Quidditch," said James, a little too brightly.

Sia snorted and quickly composed herself as James glared at her.

"Wh-where's Moony?" asked James, barely managing to hold on to a struggling Sirius.

"Oh! Don't you know?" asked Lily with a smirk. "Remus is a little entangled at this point of time."

Sia giggled at their bewildered faces and pointed them towards one of the carriages where Remus and Jessica were currently snogging.

"What the bloody…" said Sirius, finally able to get out of James' grip.

"When did that happen?" asked James, his voice slightly high-pitched.

"It's been going on for a while now," said Sia. "Things have just reached a climax."

"Yeah, you'd have noticed but you were pretty occupied elsewhere," snorted Sirius, earning glares from both James and Lily.

"Geez, it's always the lovestruck ones with the worst tempers," he said dramatically, while Sia once again tried to disguise her snort of amusement.

They were halfway to London at this point. The Prefect meetings had just ended and Sia pulled Lily aside for a second.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered, making sure that Remus couldn't hear.

"Sure. What's wrong?" asked Lily, slightly worried.

"I need to get revenge."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! That bloody wanker thinks that he can just go around making people swoon with one look! Well, I'm going to teach him a lesson! And I need your help for that."

Lily tried very hard to keep her amusement in check. Who would have thought that SIa would be so engrossed in trying to get back at Sirius? Though she quite agreed that the boy needed to be taken down a peg or two.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked, as they entered the compartment shared by Anna, Bedelia and Dorcas.

"Actually, we all have something in mind," said Dorcas, grinning at her mischievously.

* * *

"Mum, I'm headed off to Lily's! I'll see you in two weeks!" yelled Sia, as she picked up her bag and headed towards the door.

"Take care, sweetheart. And do write every once in awhile," said her mother, giving her a quick peck.

"I always do, Mum. Give my love to Dad when he gets back!"

Travelling by portkey had never been Sia's favorite option. But given the distance, she would have to make an exception. After a nauseating whirl and thud, she found herself in front of a beautiful beach house.

"Oi! Looks who finally showed up!"

Sia rolled her eyes as James ran up to her and enveloped her in a hug. Remus was next, although his affection was much more reserved.

"Sia!" Lily ran out and tackle-hugged her.

"Woah, Evans! You aren't as light as you look!" said Sia, grinning at the redhead.

"I've always warned people against underestimating me, Adams," she replied with a wink.

"Merlin, it's getting hot out here," said James, tugging at his collar. Remus chuckled and led him inside while Lily helped Sia with her bag.

Once she was settled in, Sia wondered where Sirius was. Her great revenge plot would not work if he wasn't present!

"Don't worry," whispered Lily. "He still hasn't woken up."

"What?" hissed Sia. "It's nearly one in the afternoon."

"It's Sirius. There's not much we can do."

Lunch was ready on the table by the time Sirius lounged his way down the stairs. Sia felt her breath hitch for a moment - just a moment, mind you! How could his hair always be so perfectly tousled. And why did he always look like he was completely bored with everything around him and still have this searing electric presence?

"Hello, Trouble," he said after spotting her. "Missed me?"

She raised an eyebrow at the smirk lining his features and gave him a disgusted expression in response.

"Lovely," he said, settling down and giving her a wink.

"When are we doing this?" hissed Sia, leaning towards Lily.

The redhead looked a little miffed to be pulled out of her conversation with James but didn't say anything about it.

"We could do it tomorrow. Dorcas will be here then."

Sia relaxed at this piece of news. She wouldn't have to wait long. And Sirius wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

"Wow. This seems a little elaborate, don't you think?" asked Dorcas, as the three of them sat in Lily's room, adding the final touches to their plan.

"Please," snorted Sia. "After all the stuff he's done, this is nothing."

"If you say so…"

"There! We're ready to go!" squealed Lily, clapping her hands in delight.

"What's taking them so long?" grumbled James, impatiently.

"What's wrong, Prongsy? Can't wait to see your dearest Lily Flower in her swimsuit?" asked Sirius with a teasing grin.

"Oh sod off, Padfoot!" huffed James, his ears turning red at the tips.

Remus was unaffected, lying on his back and reading a rather fascinating Muggle book under the beach umbrella. His thought would occasionally wander to a certain exchange student from Ilvermorny and the kiss that they had shared on her last day.

"Moony, you can stop pretending to read. We know you're thinking of Parker," said Sirius, closing his eyes as he leaned back on his beach towel.

"Grow up, Padfoot," said Remus, not even looking up from his book.

"Oh look! They're here! Hey Lily! Sia! Dorcas! Over here!" shouted James.

Sirius yawned stiffly as the three figures slowly walked out onto the beach. Evans with her flaming red hair and black one-piece had most definitely sent James over the edge. Meadows wasn't looking too bad either in her halter top and sarong. Then his breath suddenly caught in his throat.

As she walked up to them, he felt every fibre of his body go on high alert. She was wearing a blue bikini top and white hot pants. Sirius found his throat becoming dry as he noted every curve on her slim body. She was beautifully tanned, her waist narrow and then widening out at the hips. And her legs! They appeared to go on for miles and miles. The way she was walking, her hips swayed with an entrancing rhythm.

He was brought back to the present by an awkward cough from Remus, wherein he realised that he had been staring at her quite blatantly.

"We're heading out for a swim. You joining us, Padfoot?" asked Remus, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, sure. In a bit."

Lily, Dorcas, James and Remus went into the water while he was left with only her for company.

 _Fuck! His hormones were on overdrive at this point!_

"Sirius," she said, turning towards him. "Can you apply some lotion on my back? I can't reach the part above my tattoo."

"Sure." Sirius was good at feigning indifference, if nothing else. He tried his best to not gasp when he saw the delicate eagle drawn just above her hips. Exactly where her curves kicked in.

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

"Won't you go for a swim?" he asked, glad that his voice didn't sound hoarse.

"In a bit. I wanted to lie down here for a bit before that. Plus," she added. "Where's the fun if you're going to be sitting here?"

 _She was flirting with him! Merlin and Morgana!_

For once, Sirius didn't know what to say as he stared at her open-mouthed. Suddenly her body started trembling before she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh Merlin!" she cried, wiping away a tear. "If you had seen your face!"

It took Sirius a few seconds to realise that he had been pranked. A bubble of hurt pride swelled up inside him before it popped at the sound of her laughter. He couldn't help himself but join in. She was giggling helplessly and he clutched his stomach while silently rolling on the sand.

"Oh dear," she said, finally out of breath. "Come on, let's go for a swim."

She held out her hand to pull him up and he took it. A spark ran through them and for a moment, she looked slightly flustered. The place where their hands were touching seemed to tingle with every passing second. For a moment, they stood still, looking at each other. It was James' shout which suddenly brought them back to the present moment.

"Last one in has to eat a dozen Liqourice Bites!" yelled Sirius, running towards the water.

* * *

A few days later, the Hogwarts letters arrived. The owls had found all the correct destinations and had delivered all six letters.

"Blimey!" said Sirius, looking at his letter. "How is this possible?"

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" asked Remus.

"I've got the Gryffindor Captain's badge."

"What? That can't be. Unless…"

Everyone looked at James, who still hadn't read his letter. He ran a hand through his untidy hair and glanced at it.

"I'm Head Boy," he said, not quite believing what he had just read.

"What?" shouted Sirius and Sia at the same time.

"Congratulations, Prongs!" said Remus, beaming at his friend. But before he or anyone else could give him a hug, a flash of red launched itself on him.

"Woah, Lils. Take it easy," said James, clearly very pleased at this sudden burst of affection.

"I made Head Girl!" squealed Lily, putting her arms around James and kissing him smack on the lips.

Everyone was too busy marvelling at this sight to notice that one person had not been very excited and had gone back to her room.

* * *

Sia sat on the ledge, the wind softly blowing her hair. Her mind kept going back to the moment when the Hogwarts letters had arrived and the look of excitement on everyone's faces when Lily had discovered her Head Girl badge. It wasn't fair.

"You're gonna catch a right chill sitting out here, Trouble."

Sia turned her head stiffly but didn't respond to Sirius' comment. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. She hated being surrounded by only Gryffindors and a stray Hufflepuff at this point of time. She wished Rowena was back from America. At least then she would've had someone whom she could talk to.

"Seriously, you're not doing anyone any favors by becoming ill."

"Go away."

"No. You've been stroppy since the morning. It's annoying," he said, settling down next to her. She hated when he invaded her space like this. He knew that she didn't want him to stay. But why should the great Sirius Black care about anyone but himself?

"Are you pissed because Evans got Head Girl?"

Sia whipped her head around to see the smirk on his face. Her anger flared up and she willed herself to not say anything or give herself away.

"You are, aren't you?" he continued, the obnoxious grin on his face increasing.

"What if I am?"

"Huh? I-"

"No. What if I _am_ upset about not being Head Girl? What happens then? Nothing. I deserve that badge more than anyone else! I'm the one who has shown good leadership skills! I'm the one who has broken up numerous fights! I'm the one who made the new Prefect roster this year! I've never talked back to any teacher! I've always gotten top marks! I'm the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain for fuck's sake! But evidently not good enough to be Head Girl! Lily Evans- who barely showed any leadership skills, who hesitated before taking points from students during her prefect rounds, who-who-"

Sia stopped to catch her breath. She didn't realise when she had started crying but the tears were flowing fast at the moment. Sirius looked stunned to say the least. He had never expected his teasing jab to hit home. He watched as Sia sobbed violently, disappointment and anger radiating from her.

"I hate this! I hate feeling like this! I wanted to be Head Girl! I would've been perfect for the position. I hate that it's gone to Lily and _I hate that I can't feel happy for her_!"

By this time she was hiccoughing as well, her nose running and eyes red. She slowly slid down to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her head and continuing to sob. Her body was shaking and Sirius just stood there watching her for a minute. The amount of emotion inside her was overwhelming. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Her crying did not subside but she moved into him and buried her face in his chest. Sirius felt a gnawing pain in his body as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, trying to convey some kind of support or comfort to her.

"Why did this happen? I wanted to be Head Girl. I should've been Head Girl. Why wasn't I made Head Girl?" she kept saying in between sobs.

"I dunno. Now that I think about it, you would've been perfect," he said softly, as she looked at him with watery eyes.

"I feel horrible."

"I'm sorry," he said, placing a light kiss on the top of her head.

"I don't want to see any of them tomorrow. Or ever!" she said, her sobs having subsided but the hiccoughing still present.

"I hate being jealous of Lily and feeling betrayed by something she had no control over. I don't wanna face her. I know I'm a pathetic friend for feeling like this but I also can't ignore my own feelings."

"You aren't a pathetic friend. And the fact that you realise all these things means that you'll get over these feelings as well."

"I feel really hurt, Sirius," she said softly, closing her eyes and leaning into him. "I feel betrayed and let down and I don't know who to blame. I wish none of this had ever happened."

Sirius didn't say anything but adjusted himself so that Sia was now sitting on his lap. She snuggled up to him more, her erratic breath falling on his collar bone. Her finger clutched the neck of his t shirt and he wrapped his arms securely around her. Her breathing slowly evened out and her tense body started relaxing in his arms. He was just about to fall asleep when he heard her murmur something softly near his ear.

"You smell nice. Kind of like the Amortentia in Potions class."

* * *

Sirius woke up and stifled a yawn. His neck felt stiff for some reason. He didn't remember ever getting a stiff neck while sleeping at Prongs' place. Wait. He wasn't at Prongs' place. This was Evans' family house in France. Right. But why was it so difficult to move?

He looked down and almost started when he saw someone on his lap, curled up into his chest and sleeping soundly.

 _What the actual…_

Then it all came back to him. Sia. He remembered her crying last night. They must have slept here the entire night.

He suddenly felt very tired. Physically and emotionally. Deciding not to wake her up just yet, he relaxed into the wall and gazed at her face. The tear tracks were barely visible but he'd be damned if he ever forgot about her sobs last night. He had never actually seen her up close like this. She seemed so much more approachable when she was sleeping. Not formidable or disapproving. But then, she wasn't either of those. It just seemed to radiate off her. She was quite the opposite, in fact.

He curiously studied her face. She had a tiny beauty mark on her right cheek, a little below her eye. He would never have noticed that unless he had been this close. Which he hadn't before. Sirius wasn't ignorant to the beautifying processes used by most girls and secretly by some boys. Sia's eyebrows weren't shaped but they were neatly plucked, keeping their natural thickness intact. She didn't have any other makeup on, he realised. In fact, he couldn't recall ever seeing her wearing anything more than some eyeliner. Her skin was beautifully tanned, he observed. And there was a strange scar just near her ankle. He wondered how she had gotten that.

He moved back to scrutinizing her face. He noticed with a gulp that her lips were full-ish and formed a perfect cupid's bow. If he were to lean down slightly right now, he could feel…

STOP. No. He couldn't do that. That was just about as good as molesting her right then and there. She was asleep for Merlin's sake! Damn his hormones which kept replaying her stunt with the bikini. Why was he being tortured so?

She stirred slightly as her hair kept falling into her eyes. He smirked at this movement and carefully brushed away her hair from her forehead. This movement probably woke her up because she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

Sirius was transfixed. There was nothing in her eyes except warmth. Was this what it was like to wake up next to her? Damn. He envied the Ravenclaw girls' dorm.

She blinked a few times and let out a small yawn. Sirius held his breath. Not knowing what she was going to do next. Hex him? Castrate him? Snog him…?

"Hi."

"Hello, Trouble," he said, smirking at her.

She grinned at his response and Sirius thought his heart had completely stopped. Had she always been this breathtaking? Was he hallucinating? Was he dead?

"When in France do as the French, eh? Looks like someone-"

James never got to finish that sentence because Sia whipped out her wand and directed three spells in his direction.

" _Langlock!"_

" _Anteoculatia!"_

" _Colloshoo!"_

Sirius collapsed into laughter as he saw James stuck to that particular part of the floor, antlers growing on his head and unable to speak. He looked mortified and outraged at the same time.

Sia quickly got up from Sirius' lap, winked at him and started walking to her own room.

* * *

 **I feel like my writing is getting more random and haphazard by the day. Let us just assume that the Evans' are very rich and own a luxurious beach house in South France. And let us also assume that Lily was allowed to use it without her parents being there.**

 **Now, please tell me what you guys think of the chapter and the story so far! How is the Sia-Sirius dynamic developing? And what are your thoughts on Jily, the OCs and Remus' sudden romance?**

 **Leave a comment to let me know that you read it!**

 **Cheers x**


	26. Language and its Ambiguousness

**A/N What do you know, inspiration did strike! Thank you to the people who reviewed my last two chapters! It gives me a lot of encouragement. The plot is well and truly moving along now. Hope I can manage to write it well.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Lily was very busy. She and her friends were going back to England after a wonderful two weeks at her vacation house in France. The portkey was ready for 6 in the evening and she was currently in the process of getting all her things packed.

Her hands were full of things so she didn't notice Sirius walking from the opposite direction. There was a clattering sound as half the things in her arms fell and Sirius looked slightly bewildered to have a stray sock on his head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sirius," she said, picking everything up hurriedly. "I just have so many things to do."

"That's alright. I was just coming to you to ask if I could borrow some shampoo? Mine got over a couple of days ago."

"Yeah," she said, opening the door to her room. "Just hold on."

A few seconds later she came back with a small blue bottle. It was half used and Lily thrust it into his hands before rushing back to finish her packing.

While shampooing his hair, Sirius smelt something vaguely familiar. Was it the shampoo? Yes. He had definitely smelt this somewhere before. Where…?

It suddenly hit him and he quickly rinsed his hair and got dressed, rushing back to Lily's room.

"Evans!" he asked, knocking loudly. "Open the door! I need to ask you something."

"What?" asked Lily, annoyed at being disturbed.

"The shampoo you gave me, what was it?" he asked, abruptly.

"Umm, it's not mine. Sia uses it."

"Oh," Sirius' blood ran cold for a moment. "I see. But it's a fairly common shampoo, isn't it? I mean, the smell and color."

"No… Only Sia uses this. Her grandmother is a retired Potioneer. She makes this shampoo specially for her. No one else uses it."

Sirius stood stock still for a moment. Lily frowned at him before her face cleared up and was replaced by a look of surprise.

"Why were you asking about the smell?" she said, looking at him curiously. "Is it because… Oh my god! You smelt this in the Amortentia, didn't you?"

Sirius was completely caught off-guard by this astute observation and just spluttered for a few seconds. This only went on to cement Lily's assumption.

"So you are attracted to Sia," she said, grinning mischievously.

"Do _not_ breathe a word of this to anyone else," warned Sirius, knowing that he had absolutely no leverage.

"And why not? I'm sure Sia would be very interested to know."

Sirius gaped at the redhead in front of him. He had always assumed that she was a bit of a priss but now he realised that she could be just as mischievous as him or James. He racked his brain for something to say and then it hit him.

"Because if you do, I'll show Prongs the album in which you have at least a dozen pictures of him."

That did it. Lily opened and closed her mouth like a fish before sputtering in indignation. "Wha-what! Where did you get that?"

"You dropped it when you bumped into me earlier."

"Give it back!"

"I don't think so. It's a fine bit of leverage," said Sirius, smirking at her.

"I need it back! James can't see it!" said Lily desperately. The idea of James finding out that she had taken a ton of candid pictures of him with her muggle camera was quite mortifying.

"I won't tell him if you don't tell Adams about the Amortentia business," he said, giving her a pointed look.

She seemed to consider that idea for a while before finally sighing in defeat. "It's a deal. You keep your mouth shut and I keep mine."

"Pleasure doing business with you," he said with a smirk.

* * *

"She's coming back!" yelled Sia, jumping up and down.

"Who put sugar in her coffee this morning?" teased James.

"Shut up, James," said Sia, grinning like an idiot. "Rowena's coming back! She'll be back in England by the time we return!"

"That's brilliant! I'm sure you'll have a lot to catch up on," said Lily, smiling at her.

"Y-yeah," said Sia, suddenly looking a little worried.

"Anything wrong?" asked Remus, as they headed to the vacant site for the portkey.

"No. I just remembered something. It's not important," she said, grinning at him weakly.

"Don't bother her too much, Moony," said Sirius, with a smirk. "I don't call her Trouble for nothing."

Sia stuck out her tongue at him and continued walking with Remus. James and Sirius were singing obnoxiously out of tune while Lily tried her best to suppress her giggles.

"Are you going to give me antlers as well?" asked Remus, his eyes slightly mischievous.

Sia laughed at him, slightly embarrassed and punched his arm softly. "Not you too, Remus."

"Well, from the little I know of him, which is a lot actually, I'd say James probably deserved it."

"He's a right arse sometimes," said Sia, shaking her head in amusement.

"He is. But a rather perceptive one."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just nice that you and Padfoot get along now. You too are oddly similar."

"How so?" asked Sia, frowning.

"The tempers, firstly," laughed Remus. "And you're both loyal to a fault."

"That's rather generic, RJ," she said, using her nickname for him.

"There are other things. Small things which people who are friends with you both, will notice."

Sia remained unconvinced.

"You have your differences as well. There's no denying that," he said with a chuckle. "Otherwise you'd be the same person."

"No," he said, after a pause. "The similarities and differences complement each other. Not too similar but not too different. Compatible."

"I question your choice of adjective," said Sia. "It implies something else. Don't you think?"

"It might. But then, that's the beauty of language. Implied meanings can vary greatly. And often, these meanings help us understand ourselves."

"What are you saying?" asked Sia, in a small voice.

"I'm just saying that I'm glad you two are friends. It makes it a lot easier for me."

"Knew it. Such a selfish bloke, Rj," teased Sia, nudging him with her elbow. Remus grinned at her in amusement.

"Oi! Stop lollygagging!" came a shout from ahead.

"Wow, Padfoot. I don't think I've heard that word being used since my great grandmother last spoke about her childhood days," said James, sniggering as his friend looked annoyed.

"Bugger off, Prongs."

"Lils, don't you see a green eyed monster sitting on Padfoot's shoulder?" asked James, still laughing at his friend.

Lily pursed her lips to contain her giggle. Sirius looked royally ticked off at this point. She knew she couldn't tease him outright. He still had her album. "Come on," she said, giving him a small push. "Let's go before we miss the portkey."

* * *

"You're back!" shrieked Sia as she tackle-hugged her best friend.

Rowena just laughed at her enthusiasm and returned her hug happily.

"That's right! Things can start functioning normally again," she said with a mischievous grin.

"We have an hour before meeting Beeds and Anna at Diagon Alley."

"Good. I needed to talk to you about something," said Rowena, lowering her voice.

"Finally. Do you know how queasy I felt after reading your letter? I mean, you and Andr-"

"I didn't shag him."

"Huh?"

"I didn't shag Andrew. I didn't shag anybody. There was no shagging involved."

"Then why'd you say so in the letter?" Sia asked with a frown.

"I was doing it to protect Andrew."

"Protect him? From what?"

"Avery."

"I don't get it. Please explain properly."

"Okay," sighed Rowena. "Andrew is, well, he's gay."

"Okay, I did not know that," said Sia, a little surprised.

"Not many people do. And for good reason. We all know that Avery and a lot of the purebloods are into this whole 'blood supremacy' bullshit. In Ilvermorny as well, there were a lot of people who agreed with Avery. He had formed quite a group by the time our first week was over. Unfortunately, blood status is not all that they're prejudiced about. Homosexuality is seen as a huge sin by mostly the same people who want to rid the world of muggleborns. One of the girls over there told me, that the people Avery had befriended had once bullied a boy to such an extent that he had to be admitted to a hospital. And all because there were rumors of him not being straight. Just rumors, mind you."

"So, the night of our welcome, I wasn't lying about the abundance of alcohol. Only, it was Andrew you sort of let slip that he preferred guys. And Avery was there as well. So the only thing I could think of was to start a rumor about us. That we had shagged and whatnot. Andrew was pretty much piss drunk at that point, so it was easy to convince him to go to a different room. We waited there until most of the people had passed out. And once the others were sober, it had started going around that we had shagged. But Avery was more difficult to convince. He knows us, right? He didn't seem inclined to believe that we had shagged. And I could see that he and his friends kept whispering every time Andrew walked into class."

"Then I did another strange thing. I wrote that letter to you in the library when Avery was there as well. I made it look like I didn't want anyone to know about the contents. That immediately alerted him and he set up a diversion, during which he read my letter. It must have convinced him because they all backed off and didn't bother Andrew while we were there."

"So, why didn't you tell me this over the floo?"

"It was too risky. If anyone heard, the truth would be out. I'm sorry I lied to you. I was scared and at that moment this looked like the best option."

"I see," said Sia, digesting all this information. "Well, you did give me a right shock. I feel less nauseous now, but I'm glad that neither of you got hurt."

Rowena looked relieved to hear this.

"Did Andrew know about all this?"

"I had to tell him. He wasn't too pleased. But given the circumstances, he played along."

"Can't imagine that he was too pleased about it all," chuckled Sia. "You are going to tell the others about this right?"

"Yes," said Rowena, blowing out her cheeks. "Let's get some sundaes at Florean Fortescue's while I regale them with my stories of utmost random creativity."

* * *

"Can you believe this is the last time?" whispered Anna, feeling slightly odd.

"I don't think it's sunk in," replied Sia.

"Hurry up, you lot! Or we won't get an empty compartment!" yelled Rowena as she hoisted her luggage onto the train.

Sia glanced around the bustling train station once again, still not quite believing that she was off to Hogwarts for her final year. She spotted a very distinct red head and grinned in delight.

"I see you two are finally official."

"Can you believe it?" asked James, looking slightly giddy with joy.

"I'm not sure you do yet, mate," said Sirius, looking at him in amusement. "Hello Trouble, get into any mischief while I wasn't around?"

Sia fought to stop her blush from rising up her cheeks and merely lifted her eyebrow at him. "How could I? All the mischief in my life happens because of you."

Sirius barked out a laugh, his eyes twinkling at her comment. Sia couldn't stop herself from laughing along as well, an odd fluttering feeling taking over inside her stomach.

"Remember to turn up for the Prefects' meeting, Sirius," said Lily, sternly.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Evans. I have two rather diligent veterans looking after me," he said, swinging his arms around Sia and Remus. Remus rolled his eye good-naturedly while Sia gave him a flat look.

"You aren't a child. We won't be dragging you anywhere," she said, with a slight smirk.

"She's right, Padfoot. It's your responsibility to turn up," grinned Remus.

"Betrayal! Ah! It hurts too much!" gasped Sirius, clutching his heart dramatically.

"Drama queen," muttered Sia, before getting on the train.

After the meeting, she, Remus and Sirius walked back to their compartments. Andrew was still inside with James and Lily being briefed about a few things he had missed last term.

"Where's Peter?" asked Sia, curiously. She hadn't seen the blond boy even once during the holidays. Normally, the four were inseparable.

"Pete's mum's been rather ill," said Remus. "He's written a couple of times. Once to apologise for not being able to make it to Lily's and the other to tell us that he'll be arriving at school a day late. His mum's being discharged today."

"I never heard that," frowned Sirius. "Did he put that in his letter to you?"

"He did," said Remus, raising his eyebrows in question.

"Odd. Why wouldn't he say that in his letter to me?"

"I dunno mate. Maybe he wrote it at different times?" offered Remus.

"Yeah, maybe. What about Prongs?"

"What about him?"

"Did he know about Peter's mum being discharged today?"

"Guess you'll have to ask him."

By the time they reached the compartment, Sirius still did not look convinced. Remus went in and sat down beside Dorcas and Marlene. Sia was going ahead to meet Rowena, Bedelia and Anna but stopped when she saw Sirius' expression.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I doubt it's anything significant," she said, softly. "I don't think Peter did it on purpose. Don't feel left out, Sirius."

He lifted his eyes to hers and stared at them for a few moments before nodding his head resignedly.

"I'll see you later. Cheer up. Brooding doesn't suit you quite as much as you'd think."

Sirius grinned at her and moved into his compartment.

"Hello Trouble."

Sia frowned and looked up to see Rowena grinning at her.

"What?" she asked, tiredly.

"Nothing. Just observing some of the changes since I came back," she said, the grin not leaving her face.

"What might they be?"

"I daresay that you and Mr. Black seem to be getting along rather well."

"Please. Just because I don't try and hex him every given opportunity-"

"It's not just me. My good friends Anna and Beeds agree as well."

Sia glared at the other two as well.

"He is rather good looking," said Bedelia, matter-of-factly.

"And you've been spending rather a lot of time with him," added Anna, her grin bringing out her dimples.

"The point, please?" asked Sia in exasperation.

"We were rather hoping you'd tell us, actually," said Rowena, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Sod off," said Sia, collapsing onto the seat and pulling her jacket over her head.

"Alright, alright. No need to get huffy," said Rowena. "We actually do need to talk about something important."

Sia peeked from underneath her jacket. "And what might that be?"

"The diary I found on the last day of the exams," said Anna in a low voice. "I think I might know what it is."

* * *

 **Well, that's another chapter done. Let me know what you think. Is there anything that doesn't make sense? If so, please ask.**

 **Reviews appreciated!**

 **Cheers x**


	27. Locker Talk

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the long gap. Believe it or not, I was sick! And then when I got better, I was just never at home long enough to write this chapter. Anyway, I hope you guys like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **Recap**

 _"He is rather good looking," said Bedelia, matter-of-factly._

 _"And you've been spending rather a lot of time with him," added Anna, her grin bringing out her dimples._

 _"The point, please?" asked Sia in exasperation._

 _"We were rather hoping you'd tell us, actually," said Rowena, waggling her eyebrows suggestively._

 _"Sod off," said Sia, collapsing onto the seat and pulling her jacket over her head._

 _"Alright, alright. No need to get huffy," said Rowena. "We actually do need to talk about something important."_

 _Sia peeked from underneath her jacket. "And what might that be?"_

 _"The diary I found on the last day of the exams," said Anna in a low voice. "I think I might know what it is."_

* * *

"I was at home with mum during the break. We had gone to London to visit some relatives when I bumped into Ted Tonks."

"Who?" asked Sia, scrunching up her forehead.

"Ted Tonks," said Anna, as if repeating the name was self-explanatory. "He was Head Boy in our first year. Hufflepuff."

"Oh right," said Rowena. "I remember him very vaguely."

"It's very odd that you remember though," said Bedelia.

"Ahem, yeah, well," said Anna, coloring slightly.

"You used to fancy him! I remember now!" said Rowena, realisation dawning. "Makes sense now."

"Anyway," said Anna, glaring at them pointedly. "He's married to Andromeda Black."

"Black?" asked Sia. "You mean Sirius' cousin? Bellatrix's younger sister?"

"The one and the same. Anyway, he asked me to come over and I did. They have an adorable three year old - Nymphadora. But I digress. Both Andromeda and Ted wanted to know about things at Hogwarts. She generally keeps in touch with Sirius, but recently it's been difficult communicating with people with the added responsibility of her daughter."

"Ted had something very interesting to say about the diary. Apparently, it's a Dark object which has been doing the rounds amongst the dodgy half of wizarding London. He said that the diary has the ability to inflict injury or harm on whoever's name is written in it. Which explains the mysterious attack on Mary."

"That's insane," whispered Rowena.

"You have to tell Dumbledore," said Bedelia, folding her arms.

"No. Ted and Andromeda both told me to keep quiet. They'll be contacting Dumbledore personally with more details. If I say anything, the people who attacked her might come after me. They didn't want to put me in any more danger."

"Makes sense," mumbled Sia, feeling very uncomfortable. "But that still doesn't bring us any closer to who attacked her. We know how but not who."

"So we're still assuming that this is related to the whole Avery thing I overheard," asked Rowena.

"Yeah, definitely. In fact, I just remembered something else," said Sia, quietly. "You remember mentioning the word 'Wormtail' to me during our floo conversation?" Rowena nodded her head. "Well," continued Sia. "I overheard Regulus Black and Barty Crouch Jr. talking about some sort of plan which involved 'Wormtail'. And judging by the conversation, that is definitely someone's name. They were talking about how this 'Wormtail' person would help keep Sirius and his friends out of the way."

"Wait, do you think this is who Black was talking about when he said to look closer home?" asked Rowena.

"Your guess is as good as mine," shrugged Sia.

"Hey guys! Anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" asked Sirius, popping his head through the compartment door.

Three heads turned to look at Sia who just gave them a stony look.

"We're almost at Hogsmeade," she said, not taking her eyes off her friends.

"I've run that by our lovely Head Boy and Girl," he said with a smirk. "Exactly an hour to go. Plenty of time for a quick game."

"Yeah, plenty of time for a quick game, Trouble," said Rowena, whispering the last part. "Ow! Merlin your temper has not changed since I left."

"We'll join you in a bit," said Bedelia as she and Anna mediated between the other two.

"Alright. Don't keep us waiting," he replied with an amused grin.

"Don't," said Sia with finality as she picked up her jacket and walked out.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome! To another year at Hogwarts! Let me introduce you to our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor - Michael Hughes! Professor Hughes has kindly accepted this position at our school after much persuasion. We are pleased to have him with us!"

Everyone cheered as the new professor stood up and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Sia noted that he was quite young, probably still in his late twenties.

"He's a fitty," whispered Anna, still gazing at the new staff member.

"Ew, Anna," said Rowena. "He's a professor."

"What? I'm just stating a fact."

Dumbledore continued his regular start of the year speech before beginning the sorting. Sia yawned as one first year after another sat at the front of the hall while the Sorting Hat made it's decision.

"He's looking this way," whispered Rowena.

"Huh? Who?" asked Sia, looking up and down the table.

"Shh!" she hissed. "Don't be so obvious. It's your new friend."

"My what?"

"Oh Merlin," sighed Rowena, rolling her eyes. "The Dog Star. He's looking this way."

"How do you know?" asked Sia, frowning. "The Gryffindor table is behind us."

"That would be me," said Anna, grinning. "I have a very clear view of the Marauders and the grey eyed one is currently very interested in the back of your head."

Sia felt slightly uncomfortable as she stiffened at Anna's words. Was Sirius really staring at her? Why? Was he trying to annoy her again? He was rather good at that.

"He's probably thinking of turning my hair green or something," said Sia, nonchalantly.

She saw her friends exchange a glance and then shrug.

* * *

Classes began in earnest from Monday. NEWTs were definitely living up to expectations, two days into the week and the seventh years were drowning in homework.

"Kill me now," groaned Sia, as she Lily and Remus exited the prefects' meeting. James had rushed off for the first Gryffindor Quidditch team meeting of the year.

"And I thought Padfoot was the dramatic one," chuckled Remus.

"Please don't compare me with that heinous creature," grumbled Sia.

"Any particular reason?" asked Lily, her eyes gleaming.

"He's just incredibly annoying," huffed Sia. "And I'm not."

"Right…"

"Now, why don't you tell us about your blossoming romance, Lily Flower?" asked Sia with a cheeky grin.

Lily colored immediately, before whacking Sia lightly. "There's not much to say. James is adorable."

"Adorable?" snorted Remus. "Oh yeah, Prongs would love to know that his girlfriend uses this particular adjective to describe him."

"Well then, why don't you tell us about your foreign flame?" asked Lily, with a triumphant look on her face.

"She writes to me," muttered Remus, scratching the back of his neck.

"We never did talk about that epic snog on the last day of term, did we?" asked Lily, innocently.

"Why Ms. Evans, I don't believe we did!" said Sia in mock horror. "What do you have to say on this issue, Mr. Lupin?"

Mr. Lupin had turned a very pretty shade of pink and used his expert Marauder skills to duck into a corner and then head up a staircase just before it changed.

"I'll catch you lot later," he said with an apologetic grin.

"Damn! That Lupin is fast."

"Yeah well, I think he's had years of practice," grinned Sia. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lils," she said as she turned towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Sia had had a lot to think about in the last few days. Anna's information on the diary, the growing war and unrest among students, not to mention she hadn't spoken to Andrew yet. Which was odd, considering they were both prefects and from the same house. They were bound to run into each other. But for some weird reason, she hadn't crossed paths with her friend even once since he had returned.

"...pathetic!"

Sia stiffened slightly as she heard hushed voices nearby. Peering around the corner, she was surprised to see three very unlikely people engaged in conversation. And not a pleasant one at that.

Peter was cowering in fear as Crouch and Avery spoke to him. Crouch had that slightly deranged look in his eyes again while Avery looked cold and superior. Sia waited for a few moments but decided to intervene when she saw Peter becoming even more pale.

"What's going on? Peter, are you okay?"

The blond haired Gryffindor looked absolutely terrified at the sight of her.

"Crouch, Avery, what're you doing here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You're a Ravenclaw, aren't you? Can't you see that we are in the middle of a discussion?" sneered Avery.

"Discussion? Seems more like you're threatening Peter."

"Oblivious and presumptuous," said Avery. "How did you get into Ravenclaw?"

"That's neither here nor there. What exactly are you doing?' she asked, her temper rising slightly.

"That's none of your business!" snapped Crouch.

Sia stepped back a fraction at the venom in his voice. Avery too looked a little startled.

"Now, now, Barty, be nice. I'll handle the Ravenclaw. Why don't you and Pettigrew get out of here," suggested Avery, smoothly.

"What? No. You aren't going anywhere. Peter, you don't have to go with him. It is- UGH!"

Sia ducked as a spell shot out of Avery's wand and nearly hit her right hand.

"What's wrong with you?" she glared.

Instead of replying, he just sent another hex in her direction. This time, Sia was prepared and quickly put up a shield. She knew that Avery was trying to create a diversion.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

"Stupefy!"

Avery had to duck this time, which gave Sia a fraction of a head start.

"Everte Statum!"

Avery didn't manage to completely conjure his shield and flew back a few feet with a lesser impact.

And it was right at this moment that Professor McGonagall found them.

"Ms. Adams! What in the world do you think you're doing?" she asked, horrified.

"Professor! It's not what it looks like! He attacked me first!"

"First? There was more than what I just witnessed? This is disgraceful behavior! And from two prefects! 20 points each from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. And you will both be serving detention on Friday night," she said, her lips pressed in a hard line. "Now, Mr. Avery, please escort yourself to Madam Pomfrey to see whether anything has been broken. As for you, Ms. Adams, I suggest you head straight back to your dormitory."

* * *

"I heard about your little fight," whispered James, as Flitwick continued writing on the board.

Sia gave him a stony look which made the boy chuckle softly. "You're so reckless sometimes, Sia. You remind me of Padfoot."

A spark of irritation flew through her veins. Ever since the fight with Avery, Sia had been feeling odd. Peter had not spoken to her and hadn't mentioned anything about what had happened before the fight to any of his friends. And every time she saw Sirius laughing and joking with Peter, she felt a surge of annoyance against the grey eyed Marauder.

"Sod off." James just raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. He assumed that she was in a foul mood because of her detention later that day.

At exactly 8, Sia stood in front of the Entrance Hall, waiting for McGonagall to finish telling Avery about his punishment.

"Mr. Filch will accompany you, Mr. Avery," she said, waving him off. "Now, Ms. Adams, you will be ridding the third floor balcony of weeds and ectoplasm accumulated by Peeves. You will find gloves, tweezers, shears and other necessary implements at your disposal. Your wand, however, stays with me. You may collect it after you have finished."

Sia couldn't imagine a worse way of spending detention. She hated plants and McGonagall expected her to do some advanced type of gardening. And not to mention the disgusting patches of ectoplasm which needed to be vigorously cleaned with a specific solution. All this, because she had tried to help that idiotic Gryffindor.

"Hey there, Juliet."

She whirled around to see Sirius grinning at her on his broom.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I've come to rescue a damsel in distress, of course," he said with a smirk.

Sia glared at him and rolled up her wet sleeves. "I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle it. Goodbye."

His gaze softened slightly. "True. But would you make an exception and accept a little extra help to get yourself out of this quicker?"

Sia was taken aback by his words. This was the last thing she would have expected to hear from Sirius. He was always so cocky and self-assured.

"Well…"

"We could go and check on Avery with the extra time you have."

His grey eyes were dancing with mischief and Sia couldn't help the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Fine. Do what you need to."

With a few quick spells, the entire balcony was spotless. Sia rolled her eyes as Sirius bowed to an invisible audience.

"Come on," he said, extending his hand. "Let's go and see our slippery friend."

"Why do you get to drive?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't remember to bring an extra broom while attempting to sneak you out of detention," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Alright," said Sia, rolling her eyes and getting on the broom behind him.

She realised that he was quite muscular despite his lean frame. His silky black hair was flying in the wind, sending whiffs of citrus and cologne in her direction. If she had thought that this combination would be a turn off, she was wrong. The faint smell of leather which always seemed to hand off him, combined with these other two scents just felt so Sirius.

"Quit sniffing me, Trouble," she heard him say through the wind.

Her cheeks colored immediately and she moved away from him slightly.

"Grow up," she muttered, causing him to chuckle.

"Avery is in the Potions classroom," whispered Sia, as they made their way towards the dungeons.

"Ah, so many possibilities," sighed Sirius. "You keep an eye on Filch. I'll take care of the snake."

Sia watched as Sirius walked over to the entrance with soft and assured steps. Very much like his Animagus form. He took out his wand and gave it a tiny flick, causing one shelf of ingredients to collapse on the unsuspecting Slytherin.

Filch was immediately woken by this noise and jumped out of his chair. Sia muttered a jinx, causing the nosy caretaker to trip over his feet in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Quick," whispered Sirius, urgently. "Get under this."

Sia ducked into the silvery cloak that he had in his hands, realising that this was James' famous Invisibility Cloak when Filch walked right past them without a second glance.

"Let's go!"

They moved as quickly as they could while under the cloak. It definitely wasn't big enough for two 17 year olds, which meant that had brushed against him quite a few times. She could feel his breath on her neck occasionally and even found his hands wrapped tightly around her waist as he pulled them out of the way of a bewildered Slughorn. Glad that it was too dark to see her face, Sia willed the blush to recede.

It felt like ages when they finally reached the safety of the Ravenclaw Tower.

"I definitely got that nickname right," said Sirius with a smirk.

Sia blew out her cheeks in frustration and gave him a pointed look. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he said with a wink. "Trouble."

* * *

 **Can anyone guess the TV show reference in this chapter? :3 Special mention in my next chapter if you get it right!**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Cheers! xxx**


	28. Bleedin' Love

**A/N I hate this chapter. ;_;**

 **Btw, everyone got the Hercules reference but I was talking about something else. "Hey there Juliet." Jughead says this to Betty in Riverdale episode 6 :3**

 **I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Quidditch practices were starting that week. It was the middle of September which was the perfect time to start preparing. Sia had an unchanged team. Samuel Davies had graduated but Andrew was coming back, so there was no need for any tryouts. The Gryffindor team had undergone a slight change in management as Sirius was now the captain. Lucinda Talkalot was still Slytherin's captain while Hufflepuff had found a new captain in Jonas Westfall. The standard captains meeting had taken place before the pitch could be booked, with Madam Hooch warning everyone to keep it safe and clean.

"Damn! Did we just miss lunch because of this extended meeting?" groaned Sia.

"Looks like it," said Sirius glancing at the clock.

"I'm so hungry!"

"No, you are incredibly whiny."

"Shut up, I'm serious."

"No, no. I'm Sirius."

"I'm this close to hexing you right now."

"Come on," he said, grinning and leading her towards the kitchens.

Soon they were sitting cross legged on a bench eating ham sandwiches and hot chocolate. Sirius chuckled as Sia began hiccuping after eating too quickly. She simply glared and downed her entire hot chocolate.

"Moustache au chocolat - c'est beau sur toi," he said, grinning cheekily. **[Chocolate moustache - it suits you]**

"Did you just insult me?" she glared.

"Tu ne sauras jamais." **[You'll never know]**

"Zwei können dieses spiel spielen," she said, looking at him with a challenging expression. **[Two can play at that game]**

"Ce n'est pas juste," he said with a pout. **[That's not fair]**

"Tout est juste dans l'amour et la guerre," she said grinning at him. **[All's fair in love and war]**

"You absolute horror!" exclaimed Sirius, jumping up. "I cannot believe you did that."

"You're very cute when you're indignant," she said, chuckling.

"Alright. Clearly, I underestimated you. But watch out from now, Trouble. I just raised my game," he said with a smirk.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" she asked, unimpressed.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, walking towards her until his lips were near her ear. "All's fair in love and war. Now we just need to decide which one it is."

Sia felt a shiver run down her spine as he moved away slightly. Their eyes locked for a moment and she thought she saw something different in those grey depths.

* * *

"Sia's birthday is on Saturday. What are we doing about that?" asked Anna, propping herself up on her bed.

"I have no idea," groaned Bedelia, slumping forward into her History of Magic book.

"Looks, I think we need to accept that NEWTs are taking a toll on us and looks for reinforcements," said Rowena, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Meaning…"

"The Gryffindors."

"That's actually a great idea. I'm sure Lily will be able to help us out without getting us into trouble. She is dating James afterall."

"So it's settled. Let's head there now while Sia's still at practice."

Luckily, they bumped into Remus on the way and he took them inside the common room. James and Lily were already there, and Remus went up to fetch Sirius and Peter.

"So what's the grand plan?" asked Sirius, grinning at them.

"We were thinking of cake and some food," said Anna.

"That isn't nearly good enough," frowned James. "Padfoot, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No holds barred?"

"You read my mind."

"I'm starting to regret this," mumbled Anna as Remus chuckled beside her and patted her arm reassuringly.

* * *

"Where are you guys taking me?" asked Sia, struggling with her footing with the blindfold around her eyes.

"Shh! You'll find out in a bit!" hissed Rowena.

"If we get caught…"

"The only way we'll get caught is if you keep talking!" whispered Anna.

"It's almost midnight. I fear for us," muttered Sia.

"Okay, we're here," said Bedelia, lifting her blindfold.

"Finally-" Sia stopped short as she saw where they had brought her.

The room was lit by fairy lights alone. The ceiling had been enchanted like the one in the Great Hall and the clear night sky was visible through it. The center of the room had a dance floor complete with shining lights. The most incredible thing, however, was the set of gleeful faces looking at her as she opened her eyes.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIA!"

Someone popped a miniature cracker and suddenly the room was full of dozens of floating sparkly objects.

Sia laughed as each person took turns to come and hug her. Everyone was there. Lily, Dorcas, Marlene, Peter, Remus, James, Sirius.

"Thank you," she mouthed to Rowena, Anna and Bedelia, as James started the music.

"I'm sorry but Andrew couldn't make it," said Rowena, a little apologetic. "There's been some family trouble."

Sia nodded her head. She didn't have much time to dwell on it as Dorcas and Lily pulled her onto the dance floor. Soon, Bedelia and Rowena had joined as well. Anna looked slightly disgruntled as Peter had asked her to help him move one of the food tables to the other side.

Remus was busy with something near the window, muttering spells and waving his wand in practiced movements. Sirius was helping James with the music but they too came down to dance after a few moments.

Sia couldn't stop laughing and smiling as all her friends twirled and jammed to a host of peppy numbers. Everyone looked happy and her heart swelled with warmth at the thought of having such wonderful friends.

"Lily, may I?" asked James, as the song changed.

There were many 'oohs' and 'aahs' as Lily blushed and took his hand.

"They're so perfect," said Marlene with a sigh.

"And had to go through a lot before getting to this stage," reminded Sia.

"Oh hush! You don't have a single romantic bone in your body, Sia," grumbled Marlene.

"Is that so? How interesting."

Sia turned around to see Sirius standing next to her. She realised that Sirius had a very melodic voice. It was exceedingly pleasant to listen to and due to his unshakable pureblood upbringing, his posh accent and impeccable manners seemed to belie the mischief he and the others got up to. Most of the time he spoke softly in his low, hum of a voice, his eyes doing most of the communication. Despite it all, he had a strange habit of laughing at all the wrong moments and then charming his way out of trouble. Sirius was smooth and suave, and Sia knew that she had to watch her step.

"Can you believe her, Sirius? She just doesn't see how utterly romantic James and Lily are."

"Tsk, tsk. That's not right. What do you find romantic then?" he asked, his lip curling into a smirk.

Sia raised an eyebrow at him and just laughed. "You're impossible."

"Sia! Time for presents!" shouted Dorcas, bouncing up and down next to Remus. She was pointing at a pile of very beautifully wrapped gifts, no doubt the work of Remus.

"Presents? Let's go!" yelled James, dragging a giggling Lily to where Remus and Dorcas were standing.

Dorcas and Marlene had given her a very pretty coat with elegant stitching. Remus had gotten her a book on the creation of defensive spells and a bag full of chocolate frogs. James had given her a very impressive collection of hair products(thanks to his father) and a pair of Quidditch gloves. Peter's present was a selection of sweets from Honeydukes. Sirius gotten her a few elegant hair clips and a slab of Honeydukes caramel sea salt chocolate. Lily had given her a first edition copy of Grimm's fairy tales and a pair of gorgeous earrings. Rowena, Anna and Bedelia's gift had been the best- an album of photographs compiled through their six years and a beautiful pair of heels which had been enchanted for utmost comfort.

"Thank you all so much!" she said, the smile never leaving her face. "Where's Anna?"

She had hugged each person but realised that Anna wasn't there.

"She was just here," said Marlene.

"Actually, she wasn't," said Remus, thoughtfully. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing her since you guys got here," said Sirius, as James nodded in agreement.

"I last saw her helping Peter move the table," said Bedelia, frowning.

"Yeah, after that she said she wanted to check out all the decorations," said Peter. "I don't think I saw her after that."

"This is not good," said Sia. "Anna's a muggleborn. What if something happened to her?"

"Don't think like that," said Lily. "I'm sure she just stepped out for a bit."

"No. Anna doesn't do that," said Rowena, looking worried.

"Let's split up and look for her," said James. "Sia, you, Rowena and Bedelia head towards your common room. Lily, Dorcas and Marlene can check the toilets. The rest of us will go for the kitchens and dungeons."

They all rushed out in different directions. Sia felt slightly sick. How had she not noticed Anna's absence before? What if something had happened to her?

"She's not here," said Bedelia, as they exited the Ravenclaw Tower. "Let's head downstairs."

They eventually caught up with Lily, Dorcas and Marlene who had also been unsuccessful. As they neared the dungeons, there was a shout.

"Anna!"

Sia ran over to where Remus was crouched over someone. Anna looked white as a sheet, her face sporting many cuts of different sizes. She was clutching her left hand where a dull red stain had formed on her sleeve.

On the other side, James and Sirius were standing over an unconscious Mulciber, their wands pointed at him.

"What the hell happened?" asked Rowena, her voice shaking slightly.

"Mulciber- attacked me-" mumbled Anna, shivering on the floor.

"They were looked in some sort of duel when Anna finally managed to stun him. That's how we found them," said James.

"We need to get her to Madam Pomfrey," said Remus, helping Anna to her feet.

* * *

Anna was sleeping in the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall and Slughorn had all been present as the seventh years were questioned about the night's happenings. The air was grave as each person gave their account.

"It's fortunate that you found Ms. Carlisle when you did. We will get to your nighttime transgressions tomorrow. How Mr. Filch did not hear a thing is a wonder. Off to your dormitories now. And do not think about taking any detours," said McGonagall sternly, her eyes alight with worry.

"It's weird how Filch didn't find us," said James, as they all trudged back. "I mean, we made a lot of noise while searching for Anna."

"He's a prized idiot. Can't even show up when needed," muttered Sirius darkly.

Sia had fallen behind them all. She couldn't shake off the image of Anna shivering on the ground, looking terrified. Remus noticed her walking slowly, and fell back as well.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really," she said with a shrug. "Thanks for finding her, by the way."

"Hey, she's our friend too."

"How did you know where she was?"

Remus hesitated for a second before pulling out an old looking parchment from his pocket. "Please keep this to yourself, Sia."

She nodded, her expression intrigued.

"I solemnly swear that I am upto no good," said Remus, tapping the parchment with his wand.

Suddenly, words and lines began appearing on it. Sia gazed at it in wonder.

"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs…"

Her voice suddenly cracked as she realised what was written on it.

"Wormtail?" she asked.

"Huh?" said Remus, a little concerned about the color draining from her face.

"Wormtail? Who's Wormtail?" asked Sia, urgently.

"Don't you know? These are our nicknames. I'm Moony, Sirius is Padfoot, James is Prongs and Peter is Wormtail. It corresponds to their Animagus forms."

" _Peter_ is Wormtail?"

* * *

 **What do you guys think? I think this chapter sucked. I also hope the translations didn't put you off :(**

 **Please review.**

 **Cheers xxx**


	29. If I Were A Canon, You'd Be The Fire

**A/N Lightening fast super crappy updates! I'm so disgusted by my writing at this point. I feel like the plot is so much better inside my head ;_; Anyway, I'll leave you guys to it. Message me if you have any questions.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

" _Peter_ is Wormtail?"

"Yes, but- Sia! Where're you going?"

Sia ran for her common room, not stopping as James and the others called out to her. Once she was safely in her dorm, she took a few deep breaths and sat down on the floor. The door burst open as Rowena and Bedelia came in looking worried. Thankfully, no one else had followed.

"What the hell? Why'd you run like that?" asked Rowena, flopping down on the bed.

"Wormtail," murmured Sia.

"What about Wormtail?"

"It's Peter."

"As in Pettigrew? Are you sure?" asked Rowena, looking pale.

"Yes. Remus told me. That's their nickname for Peter."

"Fuck."

"I don't feel well," said Sia, rushing to the loo.

Images of Peter pulling pranks with Remus, James and Sirius began swirling around in her head, alternating with the few times she had seen him speaking to Crouch. Retching into the toilet, she couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach. How could this be possible? Peter? He was involved with the Slytherins? Maybe there was some kind of mistake… She had to speak to someone.

* * *

On Monday morning, Sia woke up early. She had a plan in mind. Before anyone else from her dorm was up, she quietly padded out, making sure nobody saw her. Once she was out of the tower, she quickened her pace and headed for the dungeons. It was a long shot, but maybe if she waited long enough, she would bump into him.

She stood in a dark corner, making sure that nobody coming out of the Slytherin common room would see her. She was surprised to see that a lot of students with green ties had gotten up early and were heading for the library to study.

Finally, when it was nearly time for breakfast she saw the person she had been waiting for. And as luck would have it, he was alone.

"Black."

He turned around, black hair, pale skin and grey eyes - aristocratically handsome yet missing something that his brother had. His eyes landed on her and widened for a fraction of a second, before he walked over to where she was standing.

"Adams, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you to our dingy corner of the castle?" he asked, a slight smirk gracing his features.

"Were you talking about Peter?" she asked, not beating about the bush.

His eyes narrowed and he glanced at her carefully. "I see you've finally caught on."

"What are you making him do?" she asked, taking a step closer, her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"What makes you think that I'm _making_ him do something?"

"Why did you tell me to look 'closer home'?" she asked, not missing a beat. "What did you stand to gain from that?"

"You ask too many questions," he said, a hint of irritation showing in his voice for the first time.

"You haven't answered a single one. What is going on? Where you responsible for the attack on Mary?"

"You're naive if you think I would openly admit to any such thing," he said with a laugh.

"Damn it all! What are you trying to do?" she yelled in frustration.

He appeared to be a little taken aback but remained firmly in his place. "This doesn't concern you, Adams. Things aren't as simple as you're trying to make them out to be."

"What in Merlin's name am I supposed to make of that?"

"I don't care. Get out of here," he snapped, walking away agitatedly.

This was insane. Sia felt like she was going mad. What was happening? What was the extent of Peter's involvement in all of this? Why was Regulus suddenly so perturbed? He had been egging her on all this time. Was he trying to hide something? Maybe mislead her? Who could she find out the truth from?

"Aubrey!"

The sturdy sixth year turned around in surprise. They hadn't spoken in a while and ever since his stunt with the spiked bottle of Firewhiskey, not many people had been keen on associating with him.

"I need to talk to you," she said in a low voice.

"What about?"

"The Firewhiskey."

His face turned pale. "Look, I already said that I didn't have anything to do with it. Don't inflate my head like Potter did."

"I won't. Calm down. What do you mean you had nothing to do with it? I mean, you were carrying it with you. And it was spiked. How could you not have known that?"

"It wasn't mine! I got it from someone else!"

" _Why_ would someone give you a bottle of spiked firewhiskey?"

"I don't know! It's the truth! You can ask him yourself!"

"Ask who?"

"Peter Pettigrew!"

"Excuse me?"

"That's right! It was Peter Pettigrew! He said that they had an extra bottle stashed in the castle and gave it to me because of my stellar Quidditch season so far!"

"And did you tell James about this?"

"No! How could I? He never gave me a chance to say anything! And he warned me that if I ever brought it up again, the consequences would be far worse."

"And you didn't for a moment think it necessary to tell someone that Peter had given you a bottle of firewhiskey spiked with an Aging Potion?"

"I was scared!"

"Whatever. Get back to your dorm."

Sia's head was beginning to hurt. What were all these conflicting events? Who was she supposed to believe?

That day, after classes ended, Sia saw Remus and Peter heading out to the lake. This was the chance she needed when all four of the Marauders weren't together.

"Peter! Wait!"

Remus and Peter waved as she ran up to where they were sitting.

"I'm going to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth," she said, looking at him very seriously.

"S-sure. Go ahead," he said, laughing uncertainly.

"Did you give Bertram Aubrey the spiked bottle of firewhiskey last term?"

"W-what?" His face had become completely white and his blue eyes looked even more watery.

"You heard me."

"Y-yes."

"Why?"

"It was a joke! I d-didn't know that James and Sirius would end up with it! I swear it! Remus, I would never do anything like that on purpose! You know that!" he said, turning towards the sandy haired boy in desperation.

"Sia, what's going on?" asked Remus, looking worried.

"I just wanted to know if it was true," she said, looking at Peter thoughtfully. "I know you'd never do anything like that to any of your friends, Peter. And I'm sorry if you thought I was accusing you of anything like that. I just wanted to confirm whether Aubrey was lying to my face. I really am sorry for frightening you."

"'s alright," he said, regaining some of his lost color. "Aubrey is a bit of a prat. I'd verify his story if I were in your place as well."

"I'll be going now. See you guys later," she said, waving.

"Bye…"

* * *

"Does your father know that you spend your time coercing other students into doing questionable things?"

"Adams? What the fuck do you want?"

"Just wanted to have a word with you," said Sia, stepping out from behind the suit of armor. "Don't think that you can just scare Peter into becoming an accessory to all your horrible plans, Crouch."

"That pathetic idiot! Regulus was right about him! We never should have used him!" he spat out.

"Don't even think about it. Stay away from him and any other student you might be looking to coerce. Or there will be hell to pay," she said, glaring at him. "You aren't the majority here, Crouch. And I don't think Daddy will be too eager to help you if he finds out that you've been attacking muggleborns."

"You filthy half-blood! How dare you threaten me?!"

"I'm telling you to stay away from Peter."

"You've just dug yourself a rather large hole. And I'm afraid it'll just get worse from here," sneered Crouch before walking away.

She sighed and leaned against the cool stone wall outside the Great Hall. Dinner would be starting soon and she didn't really want to see anyone right now. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the past 24 hours. All the people she had talked to hadn't really formed a clear picture in her mind. She was still confused about a lot of things. And she needed to rest her brain for a while. So she slipped away and slowly made her way to the Astronomy tower.

The cool breeze made her feel a little better and she took in a few deep breaths to relax herself.

"How dare you?"

She turned a around to face the owner of the low, angry voice.

"Sirius?"

"What're you trying to do? How dare you accuse Peter of betraying us?"

"Sirius, you don't understand-"

"Oh I understand perfectly. Were you trying to set us against each other for yourself or because my brother put you up to it?"

"Your brother?"

"My brother. I saw you talking to him in the morning. And then you accused Wormtail! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Sia's temper flared at the mention of that name. "Why the fuck are you so presumptuous? You don't have any idea of what I was doing!"

"Oh really? Please enlighten me then!" he said, his voice rising slowly.

"I was talking to Regulus about Peter and-"

"Why the fuck were you talking to my brother in the first place? He's a ruddy Slytherin!"

"I don't have to justify anything to you!"

"If you think that you can try and turn us against each other on my brother's word then you're sadly mistaken! I value them far more than you can imagine! Such a silly accusation could never break us apart! They're my friends! And I won't let anything happen to them!"

"I know that! Why would I want to do that to you guys? I'm your friend as well, Sirius!"

"Friend?" he scoffed. "I only have three friends."

"Yes. Friend. You're too blinded by your affections to see people as they are! You may be loyal but not being able to know your friends is stupidity!"

"I will not let you talk about my friends like that!" he shouted.

"I'll do as I please! Peter is a rat! He can't be trusted! He helped your brother and Barty Crouch Jr.! And even if he was doing it because of fear, it doesn't change the fact that he could sell you for his own gains!"

Sia was very aware of the fact that she was standing inches away from Sirius. Even though they were in the middle of an argument, she couldn't help but notice the flecks of blue in his grey eyes. The frown that was wrinkling her forehead grew deeper as he took another step forward.

"Take that back," he said, anger sparkling in his eyes.

"Never," she said, moving closer to him.

Their faces were inches apart right now. She glared at him as he tilted his head slightly. The emotions inside her were building as she tried to battle several different feelings together. She was so angry with him but she wanted to kiss him so badly. Just a few centimeters and she could feel his lips against hers. Why was he such an idiot sometimes? She hated the frustration she felt every time he argued like this. When would he learn to stop jumping to conclusions?

His eyes were still narrowed but the anger had reduced. He was slowly leaning forward and Sia's frown deepened some more at this action. He tilted his head a little more and softly captured her mouth with his.

Sia closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. She was still frowning but responded to his kiss willingly. Her hands went up to grab his collar as she continued kissing him with all her emotions. His hands snaked around her waist, pulling her even closer if that was possible. She was angled in such a way that almost every part of her was touching him.

She wanted to deepen the kiss, quickly licking his lips in order to get him to open his mouth. He did just that and she intertwined their tongues, pressing herself against him even more for support. No matter how long they went at it, she continued to feel this urge for more. She was breathing heavily now, her hands having moved away from his collar down to his chest. His hands were also busy, stroking every part of her he could reach.

Sia felt like she was on fire, but all she wanted was to add more fuel to it. She nipped at his lower lip, making him groan in pleasure. Their mouths were still open, their tongues dancing together with passion. Gradually, he slowed down their pace, his kisses more gentle and soft. Sia thought she would burst at this point and pressed him up against the wall, kissing him more vigorously.

She stopped reluctantly only because she was completely out of breath. He looked at her with his beautiful grey eyes, his hair tousled and lips bruised. This made her frown again and she exhaled softly, before closing her eyes and leaning into him. This time, her kisses were much softer and she would be damned if she stopped anytime soon.

* * *

 **Lol wtf. I'm just not even sure anymore. But don't worry, something is going to happen in the next chapter. Not that that doesn't happen in almost every chapter :/**

 **Please review :'(**

 **Cheers xxx**


	30. Dreaming of Tearing You Apart

**A/N Hey guys. TRIGGER WARNING. I took a while with this because I've never written something like this before. I'm not sure how it turned out so I would love your feedback on this.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Sia was pretty sure that she was in a unique situation. She had just fought with a boy, snogged the living hell out of him and was currently not on talking terms with him because of the said fight.

"I feel like you should tell Dumbles," said Rowena.

"Huh?"

"About Peter? Are you even listening?" she asked, frowning at her.

"Y-yeah. Umm, maybe. I'll probably go to him on Friday."

"Why're you spacing out so much?"

"I'm not!"

"Yeah you are! You were caught daydreaming at least three times during Potions! Not to mention McGonagall gave you a warning in her class as well. What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing. Just this weird business with Peter. I'm fine, really."

Rowena pursed her lips together and didn't say anything else even though she looked like she had a lot to say.

"I have Quidditch practice today so I won't meet you guys at the library."

Rowena nodded her head but felt like her friend was definitely not telling her something.

* * *

Lily sat at the Gryffindor table, wondering why everyone was in such a bad mood. James was strangely moody but she knew she could ask him what the matter was later. Peter was sulking and Sirius had an angry scowl on his face. Remus too looked preoccupied and even sounded a bit snappish when a fourth year came to ask him something. She decided that she'd address each issue separately. She'd take Remus first, then surprise Sirius with a question and talk to James during patrol. Peter was the tough one. She didn't know how to start a conversation with him. But hopefully, after talking to the other three, she'd have an idea of what was going on with the blond boy.

"Hey Remus."

He looked up from his homework and gave her a tired smile.

"How're you?"

"I'm okay," he said, rubbing his eyes. Lily frowned at him. Why would he never open up about things in his life?

"You're not," she said, putting up a hand when he attempted to deny it. "Remus, I can see that something has been bothering you ever since we got back for our seventh year. I'm your friend, and I'm worried about you. Please don't keep things bottled up inside yourself."

The boy sighed, running a hand over his face. His scars had healed but the lines would always be slightly visible. A constant reminder of who he was and how nothing could ever change that.

"I know, Lily. I'm not holding anything back. It's just," he paused, looking even more tired. "I don't know what I'm going to do after Hogwarts. No one will want to hire someone like me. And let's face it, if I kept it hidden, people would eventually find out."

"Well, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be thinking about that. But you have all of us. We can put our heads together and find more options for you! And you'll obviously be speaking to McGonagall. All the Heads of Houses have a meeting scheduled with outgoing NEWT students in November."

"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "I'll try to discuss my worries with all of you more."

Lily waited. She knew that this wasn't all and Remus looked like he had more to say.

"That's actually not all," he said, sighing. "I've been having a slight problem. A long distance one."

"You mean…"

"Jessica. Yes."

"I thought you fancied her?" asked Lily, not really understanding what was going on.

"I do! But… Well, she's planning on transferring here for the last two terms."

"That's great! Isn't it?"

"No! She's only doing it so that she can spend time with me! This is ridiculous! She's going to be travelling across continents just so she can be with me! ME! She doesn't even know that I'm a _monster_! I can't let her do this! She isn't thinking about the future! What is she going to do after Hogwarts? Just wait around as I disappear once a month? Tell me that this isn't the most ludicrous thing you've ever heard!"

Lily looked at her friend sadly. He was on the verge of tears. Remus had always been the most reserved and private of the Marauders. Part of this was because of his lycanthropy but part of it was also because he was just someone who didn't open up to a lot of people. And this whole issue with Jessica was bound to trouble him immensely. It was clear that he had feelings for her as well, but having someone make such a great commitment was something Remus was not used to. And it was bothering him because he didn't know how to handle it.

"It isn't safe here. The war is building. Another muggle town was attacked yesterday! I can't let her come back here!"

"Remus, I don't think you can stop her if she really wants to," said Lily. "But maybe you can tell her all of this. Everything that you told me just now. Tell her truth."

* * *

"I hate you lot for having the first period off," said Sia, chewing her food quickly. "This is bollocks. I can't believe I have to rush off while you lot sit and relax for another hour!"

"You're so dramatic. Has anyone ever told you that?" grinned Rowena.

"Bollocks!" said Sia, gulping down her pumpkin juice. "Ugh! Even the juice tastes weird today!"

"We'll save you a seat at Potions, drama queen!" yelled Bedelia, as Sia ran for class.

Ancient Runes was a subject Sia liked quite a lot. Initially, she had two friends in that class but with her falling out with Eve, it was only her and Remus.

Lately, things had become very complicated. Sia felt like she was in the middle of the ocean, unsure of whether to swim or call for help. Her sleep patterns had been affected due to which she often dozed off during a lot of lessons. Today was one such occasion as she fell into a light slumber, knowing that Remus was busy taking notes next to her.

The bell rang and the class slowly started shuffling out. Sia woke up, feeling like another hour of sleep would be good. Unfortunately, she couldn't skive off Potions.

"Sia?" asked Remus. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll just splash my face with some water. I don't think Slughorn will appreciate it if I doze off again."

"Alright. Don't be late."

The trip to the dungeons was always a sluggish one. Sia had no Slytherin friends and recent interactions with members of that house had left a bad taste in her mouth. House stereotypes were turning out to be true and that didn't spell well for the ongoing war.

"Good luck, Adams."

Sia turned around just in front of the dungeon entrance, frowning at the retreating figure of Crouch and a few Slytherin sixth years. He had an odd smile on his face as he stared at her for a long time before rounding the corner.

All of a sudden Sia was surrounded by people wearing red hoods. There were at least a hundred of them and they appeared to be chanting some sort of prayer. They moved closer to her in sudden flashes and she saw that none of them had faces.

Screaming in terror, she grasped for her wand only to realise that it had turned into one of the arms of the Devil's Snare. She fell to the ground, shaking her hand vigorously and dropping the deadly plant from her grasp. The creatures were getting closer, invading her space and slowly cutting off the light.

She wrapped her hands around herself, shaking in fright as she tried to think of some way to escape. Suddenly, she felt something in the crook of her neck. She swatted it with her hand and realised that it was a person, sucking her blood. She screamed and pushed the person off but then her face went pale as she realised who it was.

She stared into the face of Andrew, only, his eyes were green and he was wearing a black hooded cloak, blood dripping down his chin.

Sia screamed with all her might but the red hooded figures wouldn't stop. They closed in on her until it became too hard to breathe and everything went black.

* * *

Sirius was late for Potions. Again. Why did he need to give Slughorn a reason to taunt him? It was bad enough that he had been placed in Gryffindor and had hurt the sentiments of not just his family but apparently, also, the Head of Slytherin.

"Bollocks," he muttered, as he fixed his tie and ran towards the dungeon.

"UGH!"

He stood still as the most horrific sight unfolded in front of him. Adams was screaming in the middle of the empty corridor, her skin pale and her eyes glazed. She kept whipping around in fear, trying to hit an invisible enemy. She took out her wand but dropped it immediately, as if it had scalded her. Her screaming continued, this time she was on the ground, shaking uncontrollably and trying to move away from something that wasn't there.

Suddenly she started slapping her neck and turned around towards him. Her face turned white and she started screaming afresh. Her lips were turning blue and then, suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed onto the floor.

Sirius stood motionless for a moment before he heard footsteps running towards them. That's when he realised that he hadn't been dreaming. He ran up to her just as James, Lily and the others reached her as well.

"Sia?! What happened?"

"Why was she screaming?"

"Oh my god! What happened to her?!"

"She's absolutely cold…"

"Someone call Madam Pomfrey!"

"Sirius, did you see what happened to her?" asked Lily, urgently.

All he could do was nod his head slowly as the teachers arrived and the unconscious girl was taken away.

* * *

"This is a very serious matter."

The seventh years in the room looked from one to another as the Headmaster spoke to them in the presence of McGonagall, Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey.

"Ms. Adams is in a very critical condition and we cannot move her to St. Mungo's until her condition is stable. Now," he said, his blue eyes steely for once. "I would like to hear exactly what happened. Starting with you, Mr. Black."

"There isn't much to say, Professor," said Sirius, standing up. "I was hurrying along to Potions when I saw her in front of the entrance. She looked terrified and kept moving around in jerks. I'm almost sure she was hallucinating."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Dumbledore, looking over his half-moon glasses.

"Hallucinating. Like the muggle term related to a symptom of mental illness. I had read about it during Muggle Studies class, and I realised that her movements and expressions reminded me of what was written in the book."

"Professor," said Lily, standing up as well. "If what Sirius said is correct, then maybe she was given some kind of potion to make her hallucinate?"

"Perhaps," said Dumbledore, thoughtfully. "Poppy, please look into this angle while treating Ms. Adams. In the meantime, I would ask you all to not do anything reckless. We will handle this situation. You are all, understandably, worried about your friend. But please use extreme caution for the next few days. Minerva?" he directed McGonagall to escort them back to their respective dormitories.

"I hope I do not need to repeat Professor Dumbledore's advice to you," she said, once they had left the office, looking particularly at James and Sirius.

"Padfoot, what the fuck?" asked James, once they were out of earshot. "Sia was hallucinating?"

"That's what it looked like," said Sirius, frowning. "I mean, how would that happen?"

"A potion. That seems like a plausible way," said Lily, thoughtfully. "A potion… I need to talk to Sev."

"Lily!"

"I'll be fine, James. I'll take one of the others with me. No Gryffindors, so Rowena maybe?"

Rowena nodded her head, and the two of them headed back to the dungeons.

"Snivellus won't talk. Even if Lily asks," said James, glaring at the fire. "We need to do something. I overheard the teachers talking, Sia can't be treated until they figure out what caused this episode."

"Yes, but what other leads do we have?" asked Remus, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Hold on," said Bedelia, sitting up straight. "I think there might be something."

She went on to tell the others how Sia had confronted Crouch and threatened him to stay away from Peter. All their faces changed as they heard the tale. James looked outraged, Dorcas scared, Remus resigned, Marlene worried, Peter shocked and Sirius incredulous.

"That seals it then," said James. "Crouch definitely has something to do with this. Which also means that-"

"My darling brother was involved as well," growled Sirius, getting up and walking out.

* * *

"If it isn't my favorite brother," drawled Regulus, staring at Sirius as he marched up to him.

"What did you do to her?" asked Sirius, glaring at his younger brother.

"I resent that tone," said Regulus, lightly.

"If anything happens to her because of some stunt you filthy snakes pulled, I swear to Merlin-"

"Don't get your wand in a knot," said Regulus, interrupting him. "For once, I am on your side, brother."

"Really? Why do I find that highly unbelievable?"

"Trust me, I can scarcely understand it myself. But more to the point, I do not hate Adams. She's alright and she's in a bad state. I can assure you of that. I'm going to tell you a few things under the condition that no one finds out who you talked to. Is that a deal?"

"Deal," said Sirius, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm sure that muggleborn, Evans, must have already guessed it - a potion was used on her. I'm not sure when nor how potent it is. But I can tell you who was behind it. Perhaps you and your friends can use your not-so-subtle powers of persuasion to get them to tell you what they did to her."

"And who was it?"

* * *

Red hoods everywhere. Ghostly vines wrapping themselves around her neck and thighs. And darkness everywhere.

Sia jerked awake, drenched in sweat and head reeling in pain. She looked around and realised that she was in the Hospital Wing. She felt weak and her vision kept becoming blurred every few seconds.

"You're awake!"

Madam Pomfrey bustled up to her, looking extremely relieved.

"Drink this while I inform the Headmaster about this. Oh, this is excellent news!"

Sia could barely hold the glass to her mouth as she slowly sipped the thick, tasteless liquid, trying not to gag and throw up.

"What happened to me?" she asked, handing back the glass.

"I'm afraid you were administered some sort of custome-made hallucinogenic potion which made you see all sorts of nightmarish things. Unfortunately, the ingredients in this potion did not sit well with you. You were allergic to at least two of the ingredients which started to slow down your vitals. Luckily, Ms. Evans was able to provide us with some crucial information which helped us treat you properly."

She lost consciousness again and didn't see Dumbledore and McGonagall come to check on her.

Over the next few hours, she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. She heard people talking sometimes but couldn't be bothered to figure out who or what was being talked about.

After ages, Sia finally felt strong enough to keep her eyes open and register who was around her. Madam Pomfrey came over to check on her and was pleased to report that she was definitely on the way to recovery. After this, she had a spate of visitors, some alone and some in groups.

"Sia?"

"Andrew!"

Her friend walked over to her bed, his face pale as he looked at her recovering form. Sia felt a surge of happiness as he sat down beside her. The hints from her nightmarish ordeal cleared up as she saw Andrew's worried brown eyes.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"I think I'm better now. I can actually keep my eyes open at this point," she said, laughing weakly.

"You never did know when to crack a joke," he said, leaning forward and giving her a hug.

Sia returned the hug as best as she could, her eyes clouding with tears at the reconciliation with her friend she hadn't had a falling out with.

The next day, Rowena, Bedelia and Anna came to see her, utterly relieved and incredibly excited to tell her about what she was missing in her classes. After that James, Remus and Peter came to see her, Peter being the first one to speak.

"That was really decent of you," he said, not really making eye contact with Sia. "What you did with Crouch, standing up for me and all that. I've never had anyone do that for me outside of these three."

"Don't worry about it," said Sia, feeling quite tired. Remus sensed that she didn't want to continue talking and quietly ushered everyone out.

"Lils?" asked Sia, as her friend sat down beside her.

"Sev made the potion," she said, her eyes incredibly sad. "I told Professor Dumbledore, he's looking into all their punishments."

"I'm sorry, Lils."

"Don't be. I'm glad I got out of that in time," she said, looking ahead. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"None of us could have predicted this. Don't worry about this too much, Lils. It's done. We need to be more careful from now on."

"Crouch. He's deranged. I never thought there was something so incredibly wrong with him," said Lily, frowning. "His eyes. They're not quite right."

Her final visitor that week was the one she was least expecting. He walked in, raking a hand through his black locks. His tie had been loosened and his shirt was untucked. Most importantly, his eyes looked sad.

"Sirius?" she asked, not sure how to react to his presence.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, sitting down on the bed next to her's.

"I've been better," she said, grinning sheepishly.

"That's true," he responded with a soft chuckle. "I didn't mean what I said earlier."

"Huh?"

"About having three friends? I didn't mean any of that. Of course you're my friend too, Sia. I was really upset when you accused Peter of that. But in light of recent events, I've realised that I care about you a lot and I can't bear the thought of losing you. You're one of my dearest friends."

Sia's heart beat was threatening to go off the charts as she stared into Sirius' sincere grey eyes. He looked so vulnerable and young. None of that arrogance or pureblood manners weighing on him. He was just raw and open and Sirius.

"You need to stop living up to that nickname I gave you," he said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I fear that I've learnt from best," she said, laughing with him, extremely aware of his hand holding on to hers.

* * *

 **What do you think?**

 **I also watched _Wonder Woman_ over the weekend. You guys should watch it as well. It's a really brilliant film. Much better than _Man of Steel_ even though Henry Cavill is beautiful *_***

 **Anyway. Please read and review.**

 **Cheers xxx**


	31. The Fools Who Rush In

**A/N Hey guys! This chapter is a bit of a mess because I initially had something in mind but I changed it midway. And I'm not too happy with the result either. But I let it stick because I didn't want to delay the chapter any longer. This isn't really integral to the plot moving forward but hopefully you won't hate it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

It took Sia 10 more days to get back to normal. After the first few days, Madam Pomfrey had allowed her friends to bring her the homework and lessons she had been missing. Sia found that immersing herself in school work made it easier for her to recover. She didn't really want to think about anything else because it inevitably led her to the ongoing war and the horrific state of affairs amongst students at present.

Once she got back to attending classes, the days started flying by. They were given piles of homework and readings. The practical classes with Professor Hughes was extremely taxing as he was intent on preparing them for life after Hogwarts - a noble endeavor but nonetheless exhausting. On top of that, Quidditch practice was in full swing. Sia was glad to have Andrew back in form, his experience and confidence helping the team even more. The first match with Hufflepuff was in November and as October slowly started reaching its fag end, she increased their practice times, battling with the other teams to get the pitch at the most convenient hours.

With NEWTs and Quidditch taking up most of her time, soon the first Hogsmeade weekend had rolled by. Halloween had fallen on a Monday after a long time, which meant that they would have an extended weekend.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, as everyone above second year hurried to deposit their permission slips and visit the wizarding village. Sia herself was in a large group, consisting all her friends in Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. They headed for the Three Broomsticks, James and Sirius leading them with their enthusiasm.

"Butterbeer?"

Sia looked up to see Sirius' grey eyes twinkling down at her. She grinned and took the glass from him, shifting slightly as he sat down next to her. They had all occupied a large table, even then, the seating was a bit cramped.

"How've you been?" he asked softly, as the loud chattering inside the pub drowned his voice even further.

"I'm perfectly alright now," said Sia, taking a sip of Butterbeer. She glanced at the table where all of her friends were sitting together. Remus and Anna were discussing a book that Remus had bought recently. Bedelia, Dorcas and Rowena were having a butterbeer chugging contest while Andrew and Peter watched in mild horror. Lily and James were smiling and talking to one another and then suddenly started snogging.

"Oh dear," said Sia, looking away, her cheeks slightly red.

A deep chuckle next to her made her turn her head towards him. He was staring at her in amusement, his lips pursed and trying to cover his laughter.

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

He shook his head, still shaking from holding in his laughter. She glared at him and swiped some foam from the top of her butterbeer and smeared it on his cheek. Surprise clouded his handsome features before a devilish grin took over. She realised too late as he, too, swiped some foam and smeared it on the tip of her nose.

Sia could feel the corners of her mouth tilting up but tried to maintain a straight face as she stared down the boy sitting next to her. He was awfully close, their legs brushing against each other under the table as he leaned in closer to her. She felt her breathing getting heavy as his face got nearer, the slight smirk still on his lips.

"Ahem," said someone, clearing their throat loudly.

Sia jerked her face away from Sirius to find that the entire table was looking at them with expressions of glee, surprise and curiosity.

"We were just planning on heading out," said James, incorrigible mischief plastered over his face. "You two coming along?"

"Yeah," said Sia, finishing her drink and hoping that her cheeks weren't flushed. "Let's go!"

All the way back to the castle, she had to ignore knowing glances and suggestive eyebrow wags from Rowena, Anna and Bedelia. Not to mention the winks that James kept sending her way. At one point, she couldn't stand his annoying antics and elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to collide with Dorcas, who then knocked into Peter who lost his balance and tumbled on to Anna.

"Smooth," said Sirius, gracefully past a flustered James and an angry heap of 7th years on the ground.

"You were in the middle of quite an interesting situation back there."

Sia rolled her eyes and jumped into her bed. There were three more heavy thumps as her friends jumped in as well.

"I agree with Anna," said Bedelia. "What was going on?"

"He was being a prat," huffed Sia. "Annoying me like that… He put foam on my nose. It's not as strange as it looked like."

"It looked like you were about to jump his bones," said Rowena. "And he didn't look too unhappy about that either."

"Oh please! Would you lot please drop it!" whined Sia, burying her face into the pillow.

"Why? I mean, are you saying that you have no feelings for this boy?" asked Anna, softly.

"No! Of course not! Why would I have feelings for him?"

"Because it looks like a fire is about to start whenever you two are around each other," said Rowena.

"What in Merlin's name does that mean?"

"I think she's trying to say that there's a lot of sexual tension between you two," offered Bedelia.

"That's rubbish."

"I really don't know why you're so vehemently opposed to this idea," said Rowena, frowning. "But if you don't want to talk about it, we'll drop it."

"Thank you," came Sia's muffled voice from under the blanket.

* * *

He was attractive. Scratch that. He was uncannily handsome. His longish black hair and pale skin tanned through years of Quidditch training, his piercing grey eyes and confident smile, his impeccable grace and unmatched sense of thrill - Sia was startlingly aware of all of this. And more.

She sometimes sat next to him during Transfiguration. It was the best class for such an arrangement. McGonagall was a tough taskmaster which meant that she was forced to keep her eyes in the board and away from magnetic presence beside her. The presence which kept trying to distract her and get her caught by McGonagall.

"I swear, Sirius, if you try that stunt once more, I will dump ink on your head!"

"Aw, Trouble," he said with a smirk. "You don't mean that."

"What the hell are you trying to do? Get us both into detention?"

"What if I am? Would that be such a bad idea?" he asked, a little too close to her once again.

"Sod off!" she yelled, storming off for Quidditch practice.

"Honestly, Padfoot," said Remus, sighing. "Would you stop teasing her like that?"

"Can't help it, Moony," he said, running a hand through his longish hair. "She's really fun to rile up."

"Black."

Sirius and Remus turned around and frowned at the person standing behind them.

* * *

"Good practice, you lot! Hufflepuff better watch out! Defending champions are planning on starting out strong!" said Sia at the end of practice. Everyone in front of her stood exhausted but satisfied with their final practice before the first game of the season.

"Alright! Hit the showers. Or maybe not," she said, looking at the dark clouds gathering. "Head back into the castle now! I don't want to see anyone out here!"

As everyone headed into the castle, Sia went into the lockers to put away the equipment. She was definitely going to get wet in the storm at this rate. Putting away the Beater's bats, she turned around to find herself face to face with someone.

"Where the fuck is your shirt?"

Sia was annoyed. Why was this jerk standing in the middle of the quidditch lockers without a shirt? She had come in after Quidditch practice to find him standing as cool as you'd like, wearing _only_ a pair of jeans.

His response was quite predictable.

"A smirk? Really? That doesn't answer my question," she said, frowning at him.

"Shirt's in my room." Smirk still hadn't moved.

"Why is it not on you?"

"Didn't put one on today." Damn that smirk.

"You've been walking around topless the whole day?"

"Does it bother you?" he asked, completely ignoring her question. In fact, he had walked over to where she was standing. Sia suddenly felt awkward. There she was, in her Quidditch gear, sweating and slightly muddy, while he looked absolutely fantastic in his loose denims and perfectly tousled black hair. As always when she felt awkward, Sia activated her shield - a cold distance.

"Not really."

This time she had averted her eyes, moving to grab her broom. She could feel him watching her. He was probably doing all of this to make her uncomfortable. Arse. She'd never let him get the satisfaction. She'd show him that she was least bothered by his presence in her room.

"Good, because I can stay here for as long as I want," he said, looking at her pointedly.

 _Do not react. DO NOT._

"Sure. Whatever."

 _Well done. Now, take your clothes and go change in the bathroom. Wait, he's standing in front of the door._

"Would you mind moving?"

"Sure." He walked away from the door and stood right in front of her.

 _Fuck! Don't look at his face. Not his chest either! Ugh. Don't go lower! Look behind him! There's a fabulous cobweb hanging from the light behind him!_

"You're in my way," she said stiffly. He didn't budge.

After what seemed like an hour, she looked up to glare at him. Big mistake. First her eyes caught sight of his chest, which she had been trying to avoid since entering the room. Lean, athletic and slightly tanned, she could see the lines of his abs from such a close distance.

Realising what she was doing, she jerked her eyes up to his face, only to be met by his insufferably cocky smirk. She glared at him, which only made him grin slightly. That's when she noticed the shades of blue in his grey eyes. She gulped slowly and then narrowed her eyes. She could never understand how his hair was always so perfectly tousled. It was sleek and black, but gave off the vibe of having just gotten out of bed without looking messy and unkempt.

She was suddenly pulled out of her train of thought when he smiled at her. Not smirked, smiled. Sia thought she would explode from the heat that had suddenly engulfed her face. This was too much. She couldn't stand this.

By this time, she had stopped frowning. Her expression was open and vulnerable, staring into Sirius's eyes without any embarrassment or suspicion. She stood there as he put his hand on her cheek and stroked it softly. Goosebumps erupted throughout her body and he chuckled at her little shiver. Leaning in towards her, his breath tickled her ear.

"Annihilate those Hufflepuffs tomorrow."

He withdrew slightly and gently kissed her cheek. Sia was starting to lose control. Her emotions were riding on a giant rollercoaster controlled by her hormones. Desperately needing to hold on to something she grabbed his free hand firmly.

A look of surprise flashed across his face, before he moved his hand from her cheek to her waist. Sia instinctively kept her other hand on his chest. They stood like that for a few seconds before the door burst open.

"We got your wand!"

"Padfoot! You're free to go!"

"We got those filthy-"

Sia looked at the three people who were standing at the door and staring at them with open mouths. James, Remus and Lily. Who all looked like they had been hit by a Mimblelus Mimbletonia.

"Brilliant. Hand me my wand, Evans," said Sirius, casually.

Sia had let go of his hand once the door had opened, but Sirius had kept his other hand wound around her waist. He took his wand from Lily and tucked it into his back pocket.

"Well, that didn't take too long," he said cheerfully, leaning in and kissing Sia's other cheek before heading towards the door.

"Prongs, did you get my shirt?" he asked a gaping James.

"Wha- Oh yeah. Here," he said, throwing a white shirt at him.

Sirius put on the shirt in a one fluid motion, deftly buttoning it up and rolling up the sleeves.

"I'd love to stand and stare but I'm feeling rather peckish. See you at dinner," he said, casting one last look at Sia, before leaving the room.

* * *

"He was ambushed by Slytherins?" asked Anna.

"Yes," said Sia, chewing on some Ice Mice.

"And they took his wand?"

"Yes."

"And James told him to wait in the Quidditch lockers till they recovered the wand?"

"Yes."

"And he had taken off his shirt because it got ripped during the ambush?"

"Yes."

"And he kissed you on the cheek?"

"Twice," added Rowena.

"Right. Kissed you on the cheek twice?" asked Anna.

Sia had slid down under her blanket a bit more, her face practically hidden by the packet of Ice Mice.

"That is not incorrect," she mumbled.

"And you still deny that there's something between you two?" sighed Bedelia, rubbing her eyes below her spectacles.

"I don't want to talk about it. I have a very important match tomorrow. I'm going to sleep," said Sia, pulling the blanket over her head. "Goodnight."

* * *

"Careful."

Sirius looked away from the fireplace at the common room to see Lily take a seat next to him.

"Excuse me?"

"You're beginning to show."

Sirius' face curved into a smirk despite himself. "Now, now, Evans. Save the dirty talk for Prongs."

"Fine. Change the subject. But I'm telling you that you can't keep avoiding this indefinitely," she said with a smug look on her face.

"I'm not avoiding anything."

"Sure. And what we walked in on in the lockers was just a regular case of two people standing inappropriately close to each other and on the verge of some form of facial physical contact."

"Wow, Evans," said Sirius. "You really know how to paint a picture. And what you saw was just me wishing her good luck."

"Interesting. I've never seen you wish James good luck in that way."

"Damn right you haven't. If I had, then you wouldn't stand a chance," he said with a smirk.

"I'd argue against that but you're probably right about that one," said Lily, thoughtfully. "You and James have some weird connection."

"Don't be jealous, Evans. He's definitely in love with you," said Sirius, relaxing into the couch. "I'm actually quite happy that you two got together. You're pretty decent, Evans."

"Thanks, Sirius," said Lily, brightly. They spent the rest of the evening chatting about Transfiguration spells, hair products, muggle films and James Potter. An unusual friendship had formed.

* * *

 **So, what do you guys think? Please let me know by leaving a review!**

 **Cheers xxx**


	32. Stop and Stare

**A/N Hey I'm back! This is a relatively short chapter. But I think it's better written than the last two so yay!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The morning of the match was cold and grey. A light rain had been falling since the middle of the night and a cold, wet breeze had dampened the festive Halloween spirit. Quidditch was extremely popular, so even though the weather was horribly depressing,  
large crowds had gathered for the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff match.

Sia was just finishing up breakfast with her team. They were in good spirits, eating eggs and bacon and chatting amongst themselves. She rarely allowed herself to feel like this but she had definitely done a good job assembling this team. Especially Dan  
as a replacement Keeper had worked really well - he was a very approachable person and everyone on the team had formed a solid friendship with him.

"Alright! Let's head out! Good luck today!" she said, as all of them got up. She had a stack of paperwork which she needed to hand over to Madam Hooch as was mandatory before the first match for every team.

"Here, give us some of that," said Dan, taking some of the parchments from her, while Andrew waited his turn. "Why you don't ask for help is beyond me…"

"She's just ridiculously stubborn," chuckled Andrew.

"At least I've got you two to look out for me," said Sia, sticking out her tongue.

"Of course! Wouldn't want our favourite Captain to injure herself because of something as dull as paperwork," said Andrew, earning a glare from his friend.

"It's nice to see that you've got your team at your beck and call," said a female voice from behind them.

Sia turned around to see Eve standing with a couple of Slytherins and a younger Hufflepuff. She frowned at her former teammate. Eve hadn't bothered to speak to her for at least a year now. So why was she suddenly making an appearance?

"Is there a problem?" she asked, stiffly.

"The team used to work differently when I was on it," she said, airily. "There wasn't so much, erm, frivolity."

"Let me remind you, that you're the one who quit the team three days before a match," said Sia, trying hard to control her annoyance.

"Yes, well, I had to abandon a sinking ship."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly did you want with me?" asked Sia, impatiently.

"Nothing in particular. Be sure to hold their leashes securely, Captain" sneered Eve, glancing at Dan and Andrew.

In a flash, Sia had whipped out her wand, pointing it at Eve. Dan and Andrew had dropped the paperwork, taking out their wands as well and standing behind her in case she needed help.

"Sia, let's go. This isn't worth it," whispered Andrew.

"Andrew's right. But then, he was always the more logical one. I still wonder how you made Captain over him," said Eve, her own wand out as well.

Something snapped inside Sia. She threw a hex at Eve, beginning a lopsided 3 against 5 battle. Dan and Andrew were mainly casting shields and urging her to leave because the match would be starting soon. Eve had an odd, malicious look in her eyes as she  
battled with Sia, matching her stroke for stroke. The Slytherins and lone Hufflepuff had been disarmed by Sia and Andrew at one point, and Eve had disarmed Dan as well. One of the spells that Sia had blocked had rebounded and hit Andrew, making him  
stagger and fall. It was now a duel, a very intense and frightening duel.

" _Levicorpus!_ " yelled Sia, catching Eve off guard. She was immediately hung upside down by her ankles from an invisible string. It was also at this precise moment that McGonagall walked up to them.

"What in heaven's name is going on here?" she shrieked.

Sia looked around and saw that everyone had collected their wands and it now looked like she had attacked Eve.

"Profes-"

"Ms. Adams, once again I find you in such a situation. What were you thinking? Attacking a fellow student!"

"Professor, I'm sorry. It wa-"

"You are banned from today's match."

"Banned?! No! You can't do that! I'm the captain! I have to play!" said Sia, agitatedly. Surely, McGonagall wasn't being serious.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening today. You have displayed un-captain-like conduct on more than one occasion. Knightley, Stevens, go to the lockers and change. I shall inform Madam Hooch about the change in your lineup."

"But Professor-"

"No buts, Ms. Adams. Ms. Diggle, please escort yourself to the Hospital Wing. And the rest of you would do well to find your seats for the match."

Everyone cleared out, leaving her with McGonagall. Sia was having a hard time, keeping her emotions in check. This wasn't happening.

"Professor, please let me play! I'll serve as many detentions as necessary but please don't stop me from playing today!"

"I trust you have a replacement Seeker?" asked McGonagall, completely ignoring her pleas. "I'll need their name for Madam Hooch."

"Kevin Rogers," mumbled Sia, feeling hot angry tears stinging the back of her eyes.

"Thank you. And Ms. Adams," said McGonagall, her expression softening. "Please understand that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated here. I know that your leadership skills are excellent, but you need to learn how to control your temper. And hopefully,  
this is the lesson you need. You are to stay away from the pitch. Please remain in the castle until the match is over."

Sia nodded her head and turned around to walk away from the entrance of the castle. She didn't hold back the tears as they streamed down her cheeks. McGonagall hadn't been wrong. But this was just so frustrating. She had let her team down terribly. And  
with everything that Eve had said, Sia just felt incredibly low.

She wandered around the castle, not really having a destination in mind. She could hear the cheers erupt as the game began. Clenching her teeth, she tried to think of something else and not on what a disappointment she had been.

After wandering around for a while, she heard footsteps running towards her and turned around to see Sirius. He was wearing a white t shirt and his leather jacket, the hem of his jeans fitted perfectly over his boots.

"Sirius? What are you doing here? How'd you find me?" she asked.

He grinned and held up the old bit of parchment in his hands.

"Right. The map. You need to stop stalking people," she said, turning around again.

"I had to come look for you. Word is that you stunned three Slytherins and dunked their bodies into the Black Lake."

"I worry about how information travels in this school," sighed Sia.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked, his face sincere.

"It was horrendously idiotic. Eve was trying to get a rise out of me and I fell for it. And McGonagall caught us when it looked the worst for me," she said, rubbing her face with her hands. "I shouldn't have reacted. It was stupid and immature."

"Hey, I'm sure you wouldn't have done anything unless she really provoked you."

"I don't know… I've been doing so many stupid things lately."

"Just out of curiousity, what did she say?"

"She questioned my skills as a captain."

"But you're a great captain."

"What kind of captain gets banned minutes before the first game of the season?" laughed Sia, bitterly. "But no, you're right. I'm not a bad captain. I know that. It's just… It just reminded me of when Lily made Head Girl. All those feelings of inadequacy  
came rushing back."

She looked at him sadly. They had continued walking and were now somewhere in the middle of the Transfiguration courtyard.

"You know, I've made my peace with that now. I understand why Lily was made Head Girl. It's not because I'm less qualified. It's because we're very different personalities. I'm sure I would have been able to manage the duties well enough but Lily's someone  
people like talking to and aren't intimidated by. She's more friendly than I am. I know that. And that's why she'll make a brilliant Head. And I'm okay with it."

Sirius smiled at her as she spoke. His grey eyes were alight with many different emotions as he watched her explain her troubles. It seemed like she was growing as a person each and every day.

"I'm impressed," he said, once she had finished talking. "You have some uncanny insight."

"Thanks," she said with a laugh.

"The match has been going on for a while now," he said, looking at his watch. "Do you want to head down to the kitchens and get something to eat?"

"Oh yes! I'm starving actually. I can never eat much before a match and now that I'm not playing, my stomach has been doing pushups for a while now."

"That is a rather fascinating image," smirked Sirius. He ran a hand through his hair as it fell back into it's usual tousled glory.

"I've figured it out," said Sia, suddenly.

"Figured what out?"

"Why you smirk and don't smile."

"Really? And what exactly did you figure out?" asked Sirius, cocking up an eyebrow.

"You smirk so that people don't figure out that you're just a regular person with emotions and feelings like everyone else," she said, thoughtfully. "When you smirk, it gives off a mysterious, unattainable effect. But your smile… If anyone ever said that  
you were mixed up with the Dark Arts, torturing muggles and aiding Voldemort, I'd ask them to look at your smile. It's so transparent. You can't hide when you smile, Sirius. It's your tell."

"My 'tell'?" asked Sirius, raising his eyebrows. "That's a very interesting deduction. Exactly how closely have you been observing me, Trouble?"

They had reached the painting of fruit near the Hufflepuff common room. There was no one else there. No one except her and Sirius. Who was standing awfully close to her. Just like the other day. When he had kissed her on the cheek. Twice.

"Says the person who stalks people with a magical map," she retorted, not taking her eyes off his.

"Touchè," he said, his breath falling on her face. She could feel his longish hair on her cheeks, as his hand wound itself around her waist.

Just then her stomach rumbled, completely breaking the spell that had taken over. Sirius barked out a laugh and took her hand in his, tickling the pear and entering the kitchens.

"Izzy! Give us your best meal!" he yelled, as the house elf blushed and nodded her head eagerly.

Sia laughed as Sirius continued to chat with the other house elves, so utterly charming that all of them were tittering in excitement.

* * *

Ravenclaw had beaten Hufflepuff. Sia was delighted and congratulated her team before apologising profusely for her disgraceful behaviour. Her teammates were very understanding and promised that they'd make sure no one was able to provoke her again.

On Monday, the school was abuzz due to a notice put up by the Headmaster.

 _Dear Students,_

 _Times are dark and difficult. We need a light to help us get through the troubles that lie ahead. The staff and I have therefore decided to provide a candle of light for all of you, fourth year and above, in the form of a Yule Ball. Although this is traditionally accompanied by the Triwizard Tournament, we feel that times are dire enough to warrant a break in tradition._

 _Please join us in the Great Hall on 24th December at 7 o'clock in your best formal attire. There shall be music, dancing and a grand feast for all of you!_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore._

 _Headmaster._

"Things must be pretty bad for them to be holding a Yule Ball," said Anna, biting into her bacon.

"Yeah, well, the Daily Prophet has been covering things up pretty well in the past few weeks. But my dad says that things have never been so bad," said Bedelia.

"Hmm. But-"

Rowena was cut off mid sentence as a piercing shriek echoed through the hall. They turned around to see Eve covered in bright blue and red slime, the package in front of her slightly singed. After a few moments, laughter erupted as people giggled and  
chuckled at Eve's indignant expression.

"Well, that was rather entertaining," said Rowena, grinning. "What's going to be really interesting is finding dates for this horror of a dance."

"Oh dear," groaned Anna, banging her head on the table.

"We can always go together," said Bedelia. "Right, Sia?"

Sia nodded distractedly, her eyes on a devilishly handsome Gryffindor who was rolling with laughter. Their eyes met and he winkedat her before breaking out into another bout of laughter. Smiling, Sia turned back to her friends, her cheeks feeling  
a little hot and her thoughts drifting away to a grey eyed boy with an irresistible smile.

* * *

 **WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT? YULE BALL? WUT.**

 **Pls review ;_;**

 **Cheers xxx**


	33. Doubt That The Stars Are Fire

**A/N- Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay. But I'm back with an extra long chapter to make up for it. My updates will be more sporadic from now on but I shall hopefully be able to wrap up this story soon.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

"Now, I gather we've had enough theory to last us a lifetime," said Professor Hughes. The class laughed at his statement. "So today we shall be learning how to cast the Patronus Charm."

There was silence and then the class broke out into excited chatter. The Patronus Charm was very advanced magic and everyone was excited at the prospect of seeing what shape they could manage to conjure.

"Ruddy brilliant move," whispered Sirius. "Didn't think Hughes had it in him."

"Well, we do have the theory portion for NEWTs so it makes sense to give the spell a go," said Remus, as they made their way to the centre of the classroom, waiting for further instructions.

"No, I mean this is the perfect time. Spirits are down and this is exactly what would bring up the morale of the students," continued Sirius, twirling his wand between his fingers.

"Alright," said the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. "I trust I do not have to repeat the technicalities of the spell. Just remember to focus on a happy memory. And don't be disheartened if you don't get it on the first try - this is a notoriously difficult spell," he said, his eyes twinkling in the direction of James and Sirius.

The spell was indeed very difficult. Halfway through the class, ten students had been sent to the Hospital Wing for recuperation and just about three or four were still standing and trying the spell. These four included James, Sirius, Dorcas and Lily. James appeared to be the most unscathed while it was evident that Sirius was still standing out of sheer stubbornness.

"I think that is quite enough for today," said Professor Hughes. "Everyone, take a bit of this chocolate and munch on it till you feel better. And Mr. Black, please head to the Hospital Wing before you collapse."

Sirius grumbled loudly but walked out nonetheless, extremely annoyed that he hadn't managed to master the spell on his first attempt.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to conjure a Patronus," said Sia, putting down her quill and staring ahead of her.

"You don't know that," said Lily. She had her Transfiguration book open and was busy correcting her own essay. Beside her, Rowena and Bedelia were struggling with a Potions assignment due the next day. Peter and James were working on Charms while Remus, Sirius, Sia and Anna worked on the importance of a Patronus Charm.

"I don't know. I'm inclined to agree with Sia," said Remus, tiredly. "Happy memories powerful enough to conjure a Patronus? How do we even come across those during a time like this?"

"People are already taking sides," said Anna, absent-mindedly.

"We know which side the Slytherins have taken," muttered Sirius, darkly.

"It's not as simple as that," sighed Lily. "Everything isn't black and white."

"Lily's right," said Sia. "Dorcas was telling me the other day about how Emma Vanity had declared that muggleborns and purebloods mixing together was only causing trouble for everyone."

"Vanity's a Hufflepuff, isn't she?" asked Peter, curiously.

"Yup."

"It's not just her. People from all Houses are choosing sides," said Remus. "Or choosing people from particular sides. Eve has made her choice. I'm quite certain that she and Avery are together."

"I'm sorry, Remus," said Sia, patting her friend's hand.

"Don't be. It's just a little frightening. Who can you actually trust?"

"Everyone at this table," said Sirius with a smirk. "These are the only people you need, Moony."

"Padfoot's right," said James, grinning. "Strength in numbers. That's about the only thing that the Slytherins have taught us."

Sirius acknowledged his friend with a high five. Remus smiled tiredly, raking a hand through his sandy hair. Positivity was good but how long before that got everyone into serious trouble. Ignoring the seriousness of the situation would only make it more difficult to face. Was it better to be prepared for the worst or continue hoping for things to change for the good?

"Things have been all gloom-n-doom lately," continued James. "I say let's perk things up a bit. Have a little celebration of our own."

"A celebration?" asked Anna. "Of what?"

"Of life," grinned James. "Of the fact that we're here - alive! The future is uncertain but we have the present!"

"I'm with Prongs on this one!" said Sirius, grinning broadly as well.

"And when aren't you with him?" asked Sia, amused with the two boys.

"I'm game," said Lily, closing her books. She gave James a determined smile which seemed to make him even happier if that was possible.

"Fuck it. I'm in too," said Remus, leaning back into his chair.

"Alright! Let's do this!"

* * *

James' idea of a party turned out to be pretty low key. This was partly due to the fact that he was now Head Boy and Lily would never allow things to go too crazy. A bunch of them had snuck up to the Astronomy Tower with snacks, Butterbeer and Firewhiskey, hoping to spend the night relaxing in a time of crisis.

Sia usually didn't join such gatherings. She didn't drink very often and she much prefered staying indoors. But something had dragged her out tonight. The fervent excitement of a group outing, the need for a break from reports of attacks and deaths, and the electric presence of a silver eyed wizard.

They were an odd bunch congregated at the Astronomy Tower. Peter, initially hesitant, but eventually beginning a game of 'Never Have I Ever' with Anna, Rowena and Remus- Lily discussing the benefits of muggle education over wizard with Bedelia- Andrew and James engaging in a Quidditch Wits competition over shots of Firewhiskey- and Sirius, coming over to where she was sitting, with two bottles of Butterbeer in his hand and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Hey."

"Sirius," she acknowledged with a small smile.

"Fancy a butterbeer? Because I happen to have a spare one."

"This isn't for me?" asked Sia in feigned horror. "I'm crushed, Sirius Black. Well and truly hurt."

"We'll have to remedy that, won't we?" He sat down beside her, his legs touching hers as he handed her one of the bottles. He had made a habit of this recently, maintaining a level of physical contact just below what might be deemed inappropriate. She would be lying if she said that she was uncomfortable or that his presence was unwanted. It was almost flattering to have the gorgeous Sirius Black taking out time from his day just to seek her out. Although she was still doubtful of his intentions, his company more than made up for it.

Because with Sirius, she found a person who shared her wavelength. Someone who understood what it was like to have a temper. Someone who was intelligent, sharp and extremely funny. Someone who made her heart beat faster and make even the most dull moments exciting.

"Let's play 20 questions!" he said suddenly.

"What?"

"You know? The muggle game that Evans taught us at her place in the summer!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Come on! It'll be fun! You go first," he said, tucking his legs beneath him and turning to face her.

"Umm… Why do you hate the Tutshill Tornadoes?"

"Pfft. That's your big first question? It's because their defense sucks and they don't have the guts to admit it. My turn!"

Sia bit back a giggle at the enthusiasm on his face. His tousled hair fell effortlessly as he ran a hand through them.

"Did you have a crush on any of the four of us?"

"Yes," said Sia, watching his eyes brighten. "My turn. When did you decided to keep your hair long?"

"When my mother said I look like a wannabe muggle musician. My turn. Who did you have a crush on?"

"Remus. How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Two. My turn. When?"

"Second year. Okay, this is getting stupid. Let's play something else."

"Okay," laughed Sirius. "What do you have in mind?"

"I give you a name and you tell me what you honestly think of them, and vice versa. But," she grinned as he looked at her curiously. "Here's the catch. You'll have to take a shot of Firewhiskey after each name."

"Deal," he said, looking very pleased with this turn of events.

"I'll start," said Sia. "James."

Sirius threw back a shot and waited for a second for the burning sensation to subside in his throat.

"He's my brother. I know I have one related by blood but James is my family. He's the best person I've come across. He's pulled me through the worst moments of my life, all the while joking about my hair not looking as good as his. (Ruddy lie, my hair always looks fantastic.) I don't know what I'd have done if I hadn't met him on the first day aboard the Hogwarts Express. I owe him my life."

Sia was a little dumbstruck by this speech. He knew they were close but the way Sirius spoke about James showed a different kind of love and gratitude. She was so caught up in his words that she didn't register the name he had given her.

"Sorry?"

"I said, 'Rowena'. Keep up, Trouble," he said, passing her a shot.

"She's my best friend. She understands parts of me like nobody else ever has. She's bloody intuitive and that gets fucking annoying sometimes but I wouldn't have it any other way. She taught me to never be ashamed of the things I like and care about. She's my sanity at the end of the tunnel. I'd be lost without her."

Sirius gave her a small smile, readying his own glass.

"Remus."

"We're opposites and that's why we work well together. He's Chocolate Frogs and I'm Fizzing Whizbees. I knew we'd be best friends the day I saw him turn my cousin Narcissa's hair green when she was berating a muggleborn in our year. He was eleven and she was sixteen. She never found out who did it to him and the color didn't come off for a week. He's my best friend and the one person I'm most worried that I'll lose."

"Anna."

"She's my rock. Even though she doesn't know it. Initially, she needed our support because of how unsure she was of things around her. But six years down the line, she's the one who's struggled the most and still continues to be the most optimistic. She's my karaoke partner and the person who's never been rude to anyone in her life (unless they really pushed her)."

"Peter."

"Peter's a bit of a misfit… But then, aren't we all?" he said, taking a swig of butterbeer and flashing her a grin. "He's very shy and a little awkward with conversation but he's very good at reading people. In fact, he's the one who told me that you weren't a stuffy little prude when I was convinced that the only way to deal with you would be to hex your hair off!"

Sia's smile faltered slightly as Sirius went on. The alcohol in her system was just enough so that she wasn't thinking clearly but not enough that she couldn't make sense of things.

"I mean, I really thought that you were this dull and boring Ravenclaw whose mission in life was to suck the fun out of other people's lives! And to think! I almost made a bet with the guys that you'd live to be an old maid because-UGH!"

Everyone turned around to see Sia empty two bottles of Firewhiskey on Sirius' head. He looked shocked and she looked furious.

"You complete arse! I can't believe I thought- UGH! You… You are a totally disrespectful, arrogant, insensitive bastard! I HATE YOU!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" yelled Sirius, looking perplexed. He wiped off some of the alcohol dripping down his face and stared at her retreating figure.

"Gosh, Padfoot… What have you done this time?" sighed Remus as Rowena, Bedelia and Anna ran after Sia.

* * *

The last week of classes had started before the Christmas break. The seventh years had a lot of assignments to complete and a whole lot more awaiting them once classes ended. McGonagall and Slughorn had both dumped at least three incredibly arduous essays on them, while Flitwick and Hughes had been slightly more considerate. Vector and Babbling were completely unsympathetic to the plight of the joint Arithmancy-Ancient Runes students. Sprout and Sinistra had assigned a very taxing practical assignment for the week after Christmas. And there was always Binns' terrible final essay of the year for those unfortunate enough to have kept History of Magic.

"I'd worry about the Yule Ball but I don't think I'll be alive for it," groaned Anna, almost falling asleep in her bowl of porridge.

"Woah! Careful!" said Rowena, moving the bowl away just in time. She waved her wand and Anna's hair instantly fixed itself into a neat bun.

"Thanks," said the curly blonde with a weak smile. "I need coffee. Beedz, can you pass me the jug?"

Her friend obliged without glancing up from The Daily Prophet. Anna gulped down a whole goblet of coffee, only allowed to students who were of age. Rowena, satisfied that her friend wasn't about to pull a sleeping beauty in a bowl of porridge, continued to eat her eggs.

"Now, what are we doing about dates?" asked Anna, a little more alert after a generous dose of caffeine.

"Dunno," said Rowena, swallowing the last of her breakfast. "Has anyone asked either of you yet?"

"No," sighed Anna. "Beedz?"

Once again, she shook her head without looking up from the paper. Rowena rolled her eyes and poured herself some coffee as well.

"So I suppose we're all going stag then?"

"What about Sia?" asked Anna.

"Don't think anyone's asked her yet."

"Yeah but what about Sirius?"

"I highly doubt that possibility," said Rowena, brushing away her bangs. "Even if there had been a remote chance before, he blew it that night on the Astronomy Tower."

"Yeah well… He's considered quite the ladies' man. I wonder how he does that? Not with the disastrous conversation skills he demonstrated on Sia that night."

"It's a reputation. And like many reputations, it is false," said a deep voice from Anna's left. She turned around and smiled at Remus who was grinning at them both. "Contrary to popular belief, Sirius has only had a few dates and two girlfriends in total. He isn't as suave as people think and therefore his goof up with Sia is not so unbelievable."

"Wow. I did not know that. You can't really judge a book by it's cover eh?" said Rowena.

"And what a cover it is," giggled Anna as Rowena snorted. Remus looked very amused and helped himself to a piece of toast.

"So what brings you here, Remus? The scarlet end of the table not suiting you anymore?" asked Rowena.

"I actually came here to ask Anna if she'd be my date to the Yule Ball. I'd really like to spend the evening with someone who can hold a conversation," he said, looking shy but confident.

"You want me to go to the Yule Ball with you? As friends?" asked Anna, slowly.

"If that's okay with you, yes."

"Brilliant!" she said, flashing him a bright grin. "I'd love to go with you, Remus. Thank you so much for asking!"

"Alright then," he said, looking a little relieved as well. "Let's meet outside the Great Hall at 7?"

"Perfect."

* * *

"You asked Anna to the Ball? What about Jessica?"

Remus sighed and turned towards Sia. She was frowning at him and had her arms crossed. She had been a little frosty ever since her altercation with Sirius.

"I assure you that I'm only interested in Jessica. I asked Anna because we have a lot in common and since neither of us would have a date, I thought it would be nice if we could go together."

"Really?" she asked, still looking skeptical. "This isn't some sort of elaborate Marauder prank?"

"No! Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. Anything's possible."

"Sia, that doesn't make any sense. I know that you're upset with Sirius but that doesn't mean that you start accusing others of such horrible things."

She didn't say anything but her stance looked slightly less defiant. The frown was still present though.

"I'm sorry, Sia. Sirius can be an idiot sometimes," he said, rubbing his face tiredly. "Well, more than sometimes."

Sia let out a subdued snort.

"But I don't think he meant any of that maliciously. He was trying to show you how much he values Peter, and he honestly thought that indirectly insulting you would do the trick."

"Sirius doesn't believe in name calling. Words like 'slut', 'whore', 'prude'- he never uses them. He was very clear about why these were so harmful. Something, I believe, he learnt through his mother's abusive nature."

"He's an idiot. Which is why he said what he did, even though he had never said those things to us. There was never anything about such a derogatory bet. But I do recall he was rather keen on defeating Hufflepuff after you started dating Julian Grey. The only immature thing he did was offer the Hufflepuff Seeker a bottle of Ogden's finest for ruining one of your dates."

"He bribed someone to ruin my date?" asked Sia, looking very bemused.

"Yes but James managed to stop him just in time."

"He's such an idiot."

"He is," said Remus, his lips curving into a smirk. "But an earnest one."

Sia looked at him for a long time before nodding her head resignedly.

* * *

Lily was tired of watching Sirius sulk. She wouldn't admit it openly but she was rather fond of the long haired Marauder. They had a lot in common with each other and she admired his loyalty to his friends.

"Sirius, how long are you going to keep this up?"

He looked at her moodily, a sign that she was close enough to him to bypass his haughty pureblood mask.

"You were an idiot. Just apologise to her! You know you want to."

"And get another pint of Butterbeer dumped on my head? No thanks."

"Don't be like that. I can see that you feel terribly bad about what happened and you miss her too. So why not apologise and get it over with?"

He just huffed in response and walked out of the common room.

"What an idiot…" muttered Lily.

* * *

Sia and James were sitting outside, discussing the first match of the British and Irish League of the season. They both had a free period, and instead of spending it in the library or common room, they decided that a break was long overdue.

"Puddlemere were crushed," said Sia, huffing loudly.

"Their glory days are long over, Sia. High time you accept that," said James with a grin. "The Arrows, on the other hand, are looking spectacular. Such a brilliant game by their Keeper."

"Spiffing," muttered Sia, not very keen on giving credit to the team who had defeated her childhood team. "But it's still the first match. I'm counting on United to pull through somehow."

"Sure. But the Wasps and the Bats have apparently built some good defences since last season. And not to mention the Holyhead Harpies. It's just a matter of time before they lift the title."

"Wow. I wouldn't have pegged you for a Harpies fan," said Sia, nudging James with her elbow. "Has Ms. Evans rubbed off on you that much?"

"For your information," he said, looking indignant. "I've always followed their matches closely ever since Gwenog Jones became captain. She's the force that's built the team into what it is now. Stellar captain really. Even held her own as a Seeker in that lousy county team she was on."

"I know. You have a disturbing propensity to see the best in everyone and everything," said Sia, scrunching up her nose.

"Except Snivellus."

"You're allowed one exception."

James grinned at her and hung his left hand over her shoulder. He was a really charming and decent guy. Friendly and approachable but also exceedingly intelligent which made him a wonderful friend. Sia was happy that she had saved his arse from Filch two years ago. Otherwise, she would have missed out on a brilliant friend.

"Hey."

"Padfoot!" said James, getting to his feet and grinning at his best friend. Sia stiffened and tried not to get involved in the conversation. She was no longer as angry with Sirius as before but the easiness between them had become strained and she didn't know how to deal with that.

"Evans is looking for you. Something about you reverting to an irresponsible toerag…?"

"Blimey! We had a meeting with Dumbledore ten minutes ago! She's going to kill me!" he yelled, dashing off towards the stairs.

Sia hoped that Sirius wouldn't loiter and make things more awkward for her. She definitely didn't want to fight with him again but speaking to him also seemed quite tedious. She closed her eyes and slowly let out a breath. The cool wind brushed away some of her hair, soothing her irate and flustered mind.

"I'm sorry."

She opened her eyes, suddenly become insensitive to weather and body temperature. It took her a moment but she soon whipped her head around to see whether she had imagined the entire thing.

Sirius was standing a few feet away, his expression conflicted but the sincerity evident in his eyes. Their eyes locked with each other and after satisfying that she had indeed heard him, he turned around and walked away. Or rather, loped with an easy grace.

* * *

The term was about to end. The last class of the day was over and students heading home for Christmas were packing their bags to reach Hogsmeade the next day - 23rd December. Arrangements for the Yule Ball were in full swing. The teachers were extremely busy and the students were suitably excited. Especially the seventh years.

Lily and James were obviously going together. Anna was very happy to be going with Remus. Dorcas had asked Benjy, who had giddily agreed. Rowena and Bedelia had decided to accompany Andrew, not understanding the need to conform to conventional forms of bringing dates. Peter had surprisingly asked Mary McDonald, and she had agreed after an initial minute of shock.

Sia was confused. Sirius had sent her brain into turmoil after his abrupt apology a few days ago. She still hadn't spoken to him but now her only thought was surrounding him and the Yule Ball. Rowena had patiently listened to her many different lines of thought before snapping at her for being far too whiny for her own good.

"Don't think so much, Sia! Just go for it!" Were her exact words of wisdom.

And that is how she found herself face to face with him after dinner on the eve of the Yule Ball. There weren't many students around as they were either back home or too busy preparing for the next day. She hadn't properly looked at him in a long time and was once again struck by how utterly handsome he was.

 _FOCUS._

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Sia was stumped. There he stood, grey eyes shining with sincerity - Sirius, whom she had, until a few days ago been in a fight with. She knew what her answer was going to be. There was no wondering about that. But the fact that _he_ had asked her had left her speechless. And here she was…

"I was going to ask you that."

"Come again?" he asked, not expecting this answer.

"I was going to ask you whether you wanted to go to the Ball with me. I've been thinking of when to ask you for the past week."

"So is that a 'yes'?" asked Sirius, uncertainly.

"But I haven't even bought a dress," she mumbled to herself.

"Sia!"

"What is it?" she asked, annoyed.

"Why're you mumbling to yourself? At least give the bloke an answer! I'm not used to having my ego torn to shreds like this."

"Oh right. Well, it depends really," she said, frowning deeply.

"On…?"

"Whether I can manage to get a dress in less than a day!"

Sirius grinned. "Leave that to me." He took her hand and started moving towards the statue of the One Eyed Witch.

"Where are we going?"

"To get you a dress, you numpty."

"But it's past curfew."

"You're so smart. No wonder they put you in Ravenclaw," he said, smiling brightly.

"Where will we get a dress at this hour?"

"Gladrags."

"In Hogsmeade?!"

"Nah. I was thinking of using the one next to Gryffindor Tower. Of course Hogsmeade!"

"But how'll we go there?"

Sirius suddenly stopped and wheeled her around so that he had her pinned to the wall. He put a finger on her lips and leaned towards her.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now shut up, or you'll wake up the whole castle," he whispered.

Sia nodded her head dumbly, a dazed look in her eyes. Sirius smirked at her and took her hand in his once again, pulling her closer to him as they both began walking again.

"Good work, Trouble."

* * *

 **How did you like it? Please review and let me know!**

 **Next chapter we have the Yule Ball :D**

 **Cheers xxx**


	34. Dancing in the Dark

**A/N- Hey guys! Next chapter is finally here! I'm so sorry for the huge delay! I actually shifted. TO ANOTHER COUNTRY! GAH! And it took forever for me to write this chapter. But I really hope you guys like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The day had finally arrived. Christmas Eve. The Yule Ball of '77.

Breakfast had been an extremely noisy affair, the hall swirling with the excitement and chatter accompanying the heady anticipation of such an important event. Very few of the younger students had stayed behind so almost all the students seated in the Great Hall were going to be back in the evening when it was decked up in special wares.

Amidst all this, the gloom of the war could be seen making its unwanted presence felt at particular moments and places. Many of the Slytherins had openly abused muggleborns and halfbloods for daring to attend the same event as them. Simply put, the gap was widening and the cracks were beginning to show.

As each girl made her way to the 7th year Ravenclaw dorm, they witnessed some kind of scene indicating the proximity of the impending war.

Anna had just handed over her extra credit assignment to Professor Slughorn when she saw a bunch of fourth year Slytherins whispering heatedly near the entrance to the dungeons. It appeared that one of them- a pale, raven haired girl, had refused to sever her ties with a Muggleborn friend in Hufflepuff. The other four were vehemently trying to make her 'see the light', but the stubborn tilt of her chin implied that she was going to remain in the dark. One of them had taken out a wand and that's when Anna coughed and made her presence known. They looked at her warily for a bit and then walked away, throwing one last warning glance at the transgressor.

"Are you alright?" asked Anna, once she was alone with the girl.

She raised an eyebrow and surveyed her coolly. "I was doing fine. There was no need for you to do anything." She gave her a disdainful look and flipped her hair over her shoulder, signalling the end of the conversation.

Anna would have been offended if the whole things weren't so absurdly funny. She chuckled to herself and continued to walk towards Ravenclaw Tower.

Bedelia had just visited the Owlery, sending off a letter to Philippe. She wasn't sure when she'd see him next. She probably wouldn't be visiting France for a while now. Their romance or fling or relationship, whatever you'd call it, had mainly been long distance. And with the war coming up, she wasn't sure whether they'd be able to continue seeing each other.

Her owl had happily accepted a few treats and then flown off with the letter tied to her leg. Bedelia turned around and almost collided with Regulus Black. He looked pale and tired, none of the haughty superiority present on his features. A brief look of shock crossed his face, before he schooled his features into the cold pureblood mask it always had on.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking directly at him.

He hesitated for a while, before sighing and looking away. "That's really none of your concern. You may be a pureblood, but you still associate with mudbloods and halfbloods, making you a blood traitor."

"Be that as it may, you look like you'd rather be anywhere else but here," she continued, persistent as always.

"Trust me, that's the complete opposite of what I feel."

"Why?"

He blinked a few times, unsure of how to handle her blunt approach. "Matters beyond your understanding I'm afraid, Dupont."

"Most of us know that you're a Death Eater now, Black. I don't why you assume that everyone outside Slytherin is naive and oblivious."

"Because you are! You have no idea what goes on on the other side!" he hissed, momentarily letting his mask slip.

"Maybe not. But you definitely do. And from what you know, do you think you're on the right side?" she asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. He didn't respond immediately, so she went on. "Because judging by your appearance and attitude, I'd fathom that you don't. Be careful, Black. No one is safe during a war. No matter the side."

With that, she left behind a bewildered Regulus Black who completely forgot about the letter in his hand.

Rowena and Sia were just outside the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. They had just bumped into Andrew and warned him not to ditch his two dates. However, as they got closer to the entrance, they heard a couple of voices. Sia tensed as she recognised one of them as Eve's.

"Are you sure about this, Nicholas?" came her voice in a whisper.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this, Evelyn."

Rowena motioned towards Sia to get closer and listen to their conversation.

"Of course not. I was just wondering if we would require a backup."

"This was your idea in the first place. Are you so unsure of yourself?" said the male voice, deadly calm and vicious.

"I keep forgetting that Avery has a first name," whispered Sia.

"Yeah. It gives them a weirdly human feel and takes away from the whole Death Eater-working-for-a-genocidal-maniac vibe," agreed Rowena.

"I know, Nicholas. I just don't want things to go wrong. This is a very important event for us," said Eve, sounding a little tense.

"Classic Eve," whispered Sia. "Anxious and always seeking validation even though she pretty much aces everything."

"You needn't worry your pretty head about all that," said Avery, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I'm here to look after you."

"Ew!" hissed Sia, gagging slightly as Eve leaned forward and kissed Avery again. "Let's go before I puke."

They hurriedly entered the Tower, bumping into Bedelia and Anna on the other side.

"You will not believe what just happened!" said Rowena, ushering them towards their dorm.

"Gross encounters of the Slytherin kind?" asked Bedelia.

"How'd you-" began Rowena, but stopped when she saw the mischievous glint in her friend's eyes.

"There are way too many Slytherins on the way to our Tower," muttered Anna, relating her story. Bedelia followed with her encounter with Regulus Black, and Rowena recounted what they had just witnessed between Eve and Avery.

"Let's just get to the dance and forget about the ickyness of it all for a bit," said Anna, flopping down on her bed.

"Yeah. I know some of us have extremely hot dates who'd get rather impatient if we weren't punctual," said Rowena, looking at Sia pointedly. Sia's cheeks colored slightly but she ignored the comment and continued to sift through her things.

"Look here, Artemisia Adams. If you still deny that you and the gorgeous Sirius Black have something going on between you, I will hide your entire stock of Honeydukes chocolate."

"Beedz!" shrieked Sia, a look of panic on her face.

"After tonight," continued her friend with a slight grin. "If you still deny it after tonight."

"Umm," said Sia, gulping nervously.

"And we absolutely forbid you from going anywhere but back to our dorm after the Ball. We want details and any hanky panky between you and Mr. Black can wait another night," added Anna.

"Wha-" blustered Sia, now very red and unable to keep eye contact.

"But just in case, remember to use protection," said Rowena with a straight face.

"UGH!" screamed Sia and ran into the bathroom.

Her friends exchanged smirks and continued looking for their makeup and accessories.

A little before 7, all four girls headed towards the Great Hall where the others would be meeting them. There was an excited buzz all around as everyone surveyed the decorations and marvelled at the grandeur of the event. Everybody was beautifully dressed and Sia grinned widely as she took in each of her friends' looks.

Lily was wearing a beautiful gold dress, the hem falling just above her knees. She had styled her hair in loose curls and James, looking very handsome in a tuxedo, couldn't take his eyes off her. Dorcas had worn a shimmery peach dress and highlighted it with bold red lipstick. She and Benjy were gazing at each other adoringly. Peter looked quite smart in a well cut suit, Mary looking very pretty in a flowing red dress next to him.

Andrew had worn a suit and bowtie, two girls on each side of him. Rowena was wearing a one shoulder black dress with an asymmetrical hem. Her long legs were fitted into a pair of strappy heels. Bedelia looked like a princess in a shocking pink ball gown. Her blonde hair had been pulled into an updo, showing off her delicate shoulders. Remus looked shy but handsome in his black suit. Anna was positively glowing beside him in a midnight blue gown with a low cut back and shimmery tulle skirt.

Sia thought she was going to faint when she saw her date for the night. She hadn't thought it was possible for him to look any more handsome than he looked everyday with his school shirt rolled up at the sleeves. But formally dressed Sirius Black was a sight to behold. He looked impeccable in a grey suit, white shirt and navy blue tie. His hair was brushed back slightly but kept falling forward in a way that Sia found particularly irresistible. He looked like charm personified, leaning slightly against the wall with an easy grace until he made eye contact with her.

Sirius felt like the world had stopped. He looked at her, drinking in every little detail his eyes could find. She was wearing an enchanting white halter dress, her black hair bouncing with every step of her heeled feet. His breath hitched as he caught a glimpse of her long legs through the cleverly disguised slit, almost lost in the soft flowing material of her dress. As she walked towards him, her legs flashing through rhythmically, he searched for something to say, not wanting to make an utter fool of himself.

"Hi," she said, one corner of her mouth lifting upwards.

"Hello Trouble," he said, signature smirk on his lips. Normally she would have rolled her eyes at this antic, but today it just made her feel all light and fluttery. "Shall we?" he asked, placing his hand on the small of her back and lightly guiding her into the Great Hall.

Sia could feel everything blurring out as the only thing remaining in her thoughts was the devilishly handsome young man next to her. His hand on her back sent tingles all across her body. She was almost too scared to look at him, scared of what would happen is she did. It felt like a dream. He was undoubtedly the best looking guy at Hogwarts, perhaps one of the best looking guys in general.

She was oblivious to James and Lily sharing loved up glances, missed Beedz, Rowena and Andrew watching her and Sirius with identical grins, and didn't hear Remus and Anna chatting animatedly about the latest Beatles album. The only thing she was aware of was Sirius.

"Do you want to dance?" he whispered, leaning down towards her. She nodded her head, biting back the ridiculous smile that was threatening to break out onto her face.

Sia wasn't a great dancer. Truth be told, the amount of dancing she had done was basically limited to sleepover jigs and bathroom solos. Sirius, however, was an expert. His hands around her waist made her feel alert and excited, steering her along with the music. Her hands were clasped behind his neck, initially hesitant but relaxing into him slowly. As they continued swaying, Sia felt a little pressure on her back, pushing her closer to Sirius. Her face felt flushed as her body came into contact with his.

"Nervous, Trouble?" he asked, his voice a low rumble like faraway thunder just before a storm.

"You wish." He barked out a laugh at her response. Sia grinned as well, feeling a little more attune with the world around her.

"I'm glad we came together," he continued. "I was worried that you'd say no for some ridiculous reason like I'm not a Puddlemere fan or something."

"Well you aren't," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"And yet here you are," he said with a smirk.

"Here I am."

"And I'm absolutely delighted."

"You tosser! That sounded utterly fake!" she gasped, smacking him lightly on his arm.

"What?! N-no!" he began, trying his best to keep his laughter in check. "I'm s-"

"Do not say you're Sirius," she warned him, grabbing a hold of his tie and bringing him closer in what was supposedly a very threatening move. It backfired because Sirius' eyes darkened slightly at her action, his eyes darting to her lips.

"But I am." Sia felt all rational thought leave her head as he hovered about a few inches away from her face. She could see the blue flecks in his stormy grey eyes from this distance. Slowly, she felt her lips moving towards his, her eyes fluttering close in anticipation.

"Hello hello! How's everything going?"

They jerked apart at the sound of James' unmistakable voice. He was clearly out of it, still trying to comprehend the fact that Lily Evans was his girlfriend and he was at the Yule Ball with her. Which was probably why he didn't realise that he had interrupted an intense moment between his two friends.

"Honestly! James, you are _such_ an idiot!" hissed Lily, steering him away. "I am so sorry, you two." Her apologetic expression quickly turned reprimanding as she began muttering away furiously to James.

"They really look good together," said Sia, smiling at her friends warmly.

"And they're totally in love. Doesn't get much better than that," said Sirius, a small sigh escaping his lips.

"Was that a wistful sigh I just heard? Not regretting your life decisions are you, Mr. Black?" asked Sia, lifting an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Which decision were you talking about exactly?" he asked, closing the distance between them once again.

"I-I don't know. You make so many decisions that could be regretted. I'm not sure which one-"

"Sia!"

Once again, Sia and Sirius moved apart, not as quickly as before though. This time the intrusion came from an unexpected source. It was Eve and her date - Nicholas Avery. Sia shuddered slightly and she felt Sirius' arm wrap around her waist more securely.

"Eve."

"I see you've come with Sirius," said the petite Ravenclaw, even though it was pretty obvious. "How interesting."

"And why is that?" asked Sirius, his haughty expression taking over. Sia stiffened slightly but stopped herself from saying anything just yet.

By this time, the music had stopped and appetizers and drinks had appeared in front of everyone. Eve and Avery stood in front of them, waiting to continue the slightly charged conversation that had started.

"Oh just," said Eve with a slight giggle. "Sia's never really been into dating. She's only dated one guy so far. That didn't end too well though, did it?" she finished contemplatively. "But that's great that she's got a date for today. And with the famous Sirius Black as well. Good job, Sia!"

Sia bristled at the insinuation behind her statement. Eve was being downright nasty, and she still wasn't sure where all this disguised venom was coming from.

"We aren't dating, Eve, if that's what you wanted to know," said Sia, taking a sip of her milkshake. Her blunt response didn't seem to please Eve and she continued with a slight glint in her eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry. That was rather embarrassing of me," Eve said, feigning horror.

"Why?" asked Sia, getting annoyed now.

"Assuming that you two were dating when there's clearly nothing going on here. I'm so sorry about that."

"You've got some chocolate on your face," said Sirius, interrupting Sia before she could respond to Eve's weird observations. "Let me get it for you," he said, leaning forward and licking it off the corner of her mouth.

It was a quick movement, but it had the desired effect. Eve's eyes widened, her nostrils flaring slightly while Avery just looked away in disinterest. The most interesting reaction was Sia's, who had frozen completely when Sirius' lips had ghosted over the corner of her mouth, his tongue lightly grazing the side of her lips.

Eve and Avery used that moment to walk away, leaving a stunned Sia and a slightly amused Sirius alone.

"Wha-"

"You had chocolate on your face," he said with a shrug.

"And your solution was to remove it with your mouth?" she asked, laughing in disbelief.

"Sorry I don't carry handkerchiefs with me for such emergencies," he said with a scoff. "Anyway, I thought this was a better idea."

"It definitely was," she said, looking directly at him. "By the way, you have some chapstick on your lips," she said, quickly leaning in and pressing her lips against his.

"What? No I don't!" he said, slightly bewildered.

"You do now."

It took him a second to register her words, before a delightfully cheeky grin took over his features.

"You flirting with me now, Trouble?" he asked, lightly. "Think you're up to it?"

"I do actually," she replied with a challenge in her eyes. "Do you doubt me?"

"I'm not sure I have much to go on," he mused, wrapping his arms around her waist again.

"You guys! You'll never believe what's happened!"

Sia and Sirius huffed loudly, extricating themselves from their close embrace.

"What's wrong, Anna?" asked Sia, a slight irritation audible in her voice.

"Jessica's here."

"Who?" asked Sirius, frowning and pulling Sia closer to himself.

"Parker? Jessica Parker is here?! Where's Remus?" shrieked Sia.

"He's a little preoccupied," said Anna with a giggle, pointing towards the other side of the hall.

The lively redhead they had all come to like was now in Remus' arms, laughing happily and kissing him alternately.

"Parker?!" exclaimed Sirius, gaping at his best friend and the girl with him.

"Yes! For Merlin's sake, Sirius! Why're you so slow today?" snapped Sia in annoyance.

"I think I can think of a reason," said Rowena, appearing from behind them.

"Huh?"

"A reason why Sirius is a little slow today."

"Okay… What is it?" asked Sia, raising an eyebrow.

Rowena didn't reply but just looked suggestively between her and Sirius. Sia's cheeks colored immediately, even though Sirius' arm was wrapped firmly around her waist.

"W-well… That's. Umm…"

"You're rather eloquent, aren't you?" murmured Sirius, his low whisper blowing a little breeze into her ear. She shivered slightly, eliciting a snort from both Anna and Rowena.

"But Anna," said Sia, shaking her head to get rid of all the Sirius inside it. "Remus was your date tonight. Are you-"

"I'm fine, Sia," said Anna with a laugh. "Besides, have you seen the look on his face? He's absolutely smitten with her!"

"I haven't heard that word in more than ten years, Anna. Come on, let's get you some food. You've had way too many sugary drinks," said Rowena, rolling her eyes.

"Your friends are weird," said Sirius, quirking an eyebrow at their retreating figures.

"That's rich coming from you," said Sia with a snort.

"Ooh! That's attractive," he said with a smirk.

"Don't pretend you're above snorting, you tosser," she said, looking at him indignantly. "I've seen you do much worse."

"Oh really?" he said, reverting to his former stance of wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning towards her. But now his forehead was touching hers. "See anything you like?"

"You really are incorrigible," breathed Sia, her nose brushing against his because of their proximity.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, softly, leaning in even closer. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I-" Sia's eyes closed once again, Sirius' breath falling on her lips as the distance slowly reduced.

"Sia! Padfoot!"

This time, Sirius didn't move. He just sighed and angled his head in a way so that he could clearly see James' face while still holding on to Sia.

"What now, Prongs? Don't tell me. Dumbledore and old Minnie are snogging. Is that it?"

"No," said James, his breathing heavy and his face white. "It's Mary. She's dead."

* * *

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. And the story in general. We're getting close to the end. Not too many chapters left. I'd love some feedback from your guys.**

 **Cheers xxx**


	35. Young Blood, Your Time Is Running Out

**A/N- Hey guys! I'm back! As I had mentioned in the previous chapter, we are near the end of this story. I'm not sure how many more chapters are left, but it'll definitely be ending soon. There will be a few leaps in the story now. So do keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

1978 was recorded as one of the worst years in the last century. The death of Muggleborn 6th year, Mary MacDonald, signalled the beginning of the Great Wizarding War. It was no longer a covert operation of recruitment and occasional sabotage. People were dying everyday. No one was spared and no one was safe. Hogwarts had become a den of gloom and suspicion, threatening to catch fire at any moment. It was about that time that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore decided to summon a few of the outgoing students to his office.

"The Order of the Phoenix," he finished, looking over his half-moon glasses.

"You're asking us if we want to join an underground resistance against Voldemort?" asked James.

"That is the jist of it, Mr. Potter."

"Absolutely!" said James, moving forward with determination.

"I'm in as well," said Lily, looking grim.

"I wouldn't miss a chance to humiliate most of my family in the process," said Sirius with a smirk.

"I'd like to join as well," said Remus, looking tired but with a defiant glint in his eyes. Peter looked at his friends nervously and then nodded his head quickly.

In the end, everyone in the room ended up joining the Order of the Phoenix - Sia, Rowena, Bedelia, Anna, Dorcas, Marlene, Andrew and Benjy. Lily suggested that Dumbledore ask some of the sixth years as well, but he felt like that would be too much of a risk as most of them would still be underage.

"Merlin! I can't believe we've actually signed up for this," said Remus, contemplatively.

"I know! I'm so chuffed!" said Sirius with a bark of laughter.

"Really?" asked Lily, frowning at him.

"No, no. I think I get what Padfoot means," said James. "It felt like hell just sitting around and watching everything fall to pieces. Now, we can actually do something. Make a difference! Kick some Death Eater arse!"

James' enthusiasm elicited a few snorts and amused expressions but he had articulated what most of them felt. There was also an accompanying fear.

"I feel like a soldier going out for battle," groaned Anna. "And it didn't end very well for most of the soldiers in the World Wars."

"I'm scared too," said Dorcas, as Benjy sat beside her and held her hand. "This seems surreal."

"What happened to Mary was also pretty surreal," said Rowena, a frown creasing her forehead as she looked out the window. "I sometimes wonder if it was all a horrible dream."

"I'm still hoping that that's a possibility," said Benjy, laughing nervously.

"I can't wait till we graduate in June," said James. "I wish I could just take out my wand and go out onto the streets right now!"

"You might want to leave behind some of that Marauder instinct once we official join th Order, James. Imagine being on Voldemort's hit-list because of a strategically placed Dungbomb," said Lily, feigning a stern look.

There were many chuckles and snorts as James grinned sheepishly and Remus patted him on the back. Sirius laughed along but his eyes kept straying to the girl who hadn't spoken throughout the entire discussion. She was just sitting there, a vague look on her face as she twirled her wand around her fingers absentmindedly. Even amidst the death, doom and fear, Sirius' mind kept going back to their multiple almost-kisses. He'd barely had a chance to speak to her since then. It was as if their lives had been plunged into a deep and chaotic vortex. But he hoped that they would be able to spend some time together before school ended, and definitely when they were both working for the Order.

"Sia? Are you alright?"

Sia sat up on her bed to look at Anna's concerned face. Rowena and Bedelia were behind her, looking worried as well. It was the end of the week and they finally had a Hogsmeade weekend to look forward to. Even though it had many restrictions imposed on it, it was still better than staying inside the castle, afraid that the owl post would bring a letter of devastation during breakfast.

"Yeah."

"You've been awfully quiet the last few weeks," said Bedelia, tilting her head to one side.

"It's nothing. Just… You know, with everything the way it is. I can't help but…"

"I don't think anybody can help but think of the worst," said Rowena, softly. "And those you say they aren't, are in denial. These are dark times. But we have to fight in order to survive."

"And we have each other!" said Anna, grinning at them all. "No matter what happens, we'll stand by each other. Like always."

"This," said Bedelia, gesturing to the four of them. "Is our greatest strength."

"And our biggest weakness," thought Sia, fighting to get a smile on her face.

* * *

 _December 1978_

James and Lily hid in a dark alley as shouts were heard nearby. They had barely managed to escape when Death Eaters had ambushed their usual patrol route. Avery and Nott were accompanied by two others whom they didn't recognise by their voices. It didn't matter because the array of curses shooting out of their wands was enough to keep the young Order members occupied. Avery had always been a good student, but Nott was a couple of years younger and had been a very quiet boy while James and Lily were in school. But their magic was definitely on par with the best of the Order. It took a lot of James' Marauder instinct and Lily's spellcraft to get them back to safety.

The alley was perfect for Disapparation, away from Muggles and difficult to spot by wizards. Just as they were about to disapparate, Lily felt a cold presence to her left. She turned and looked into the frightening red eyes of the wizard who had managed to tear apart an entire generation.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came his silky voice.

James froze, an odd feeling overtaking him. He was the son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, incredibly wealthy, blessed with a sharp mind and boyish good looks. He had never wanted in any aspect of his life. He was confident, sometimes bordering on arrogant, charismatic and full of life. Yet, this was the first time he felt the crippling sensation of fear attack his very soul as he watched Lord Voldemort talk to Lily.

"Ms. Evans, I've heard a great deal about you," he continued. "Quite gifted - I have an enormous amount of respect for magical prowess. It's a pity about your parentage. If only you weren't a mudbl-"

"Lily! Let's go!" shouted James, as he flung a handful of Dungbombs at Voldemort. The redhead looked startled, but it was nothing compared to the utter incredulity on Voldemort's face as he flicked his wand to get rid of the offending prank items. It was just that moment that they needed. Hands clasped together, they apparated back to Headquarters to report to Dumbledore as soon as possible.

"You flung our last stash of Dungbombs at Voldemort?" asked Remus, his face impassive and his voice only holding a hint of curiosity.

"I didn't know what else to do!" exclaimed James, going red in the face.

"I've never been more proud," said Sirius, wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye. "I wish I could have seen it. Voldemort bested by a Dungbomb!"

"That was exceedingly reckless, Prongs. I can't believe you two are still alive," said Remus, the corner of his mouth tugging upward into a smile. "Long live the Marauder instinct."

James grinned sheepishly as Sirius ruffled his hair affectionately. Remus chuckled softly and nodded at Lily, expressing just how relieved he was that they were alright.

"I can't believe you did that," said Lily, with a sigh, wrapping her arms around James in a warm embrace. "You stupid, toerag."

* * *

 _February 1979_

 _ **More Muggles Die As He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Continues His Terror Rampage Across Great Britain**_

 _Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom were part of a rescue team which managed to save a dozen Muggleborns and their families during the terrifying attack in Manchester. While the number of casualties was limited by the timely arrival of the rescue team, it still remains one of the biggest massacres since You Know Who began his assault. Sources have reported that the Longbottoms went face-to-face with the notorious Dark Wizard and managed to escape alive. It-_

"What ruddy sources are these?" asked Alastor Moody, gruffly. He rustled the newspaper shut and turned to face the few members who had arrived before time.

" _The Daily Prophet_ has been known to have underground reporters," said Remus, sipping his coffee.

"Who the bloody hell could've been there without us knowing?" growled Moody.

"I don't know why you're getting so worked up, Mad-Eye," said Hestia Jones, looking up from treating a nasty burn on Benjy Fenwick's left arm.

"Because it's bloody important! For all we know, there might be undercover Death Eaters working at that ruddy paper. We can never be too careful. Like I always say-"

"Constant vigilance!"

Everyone turned to see James and Sirius walk into the room with identical grins on their faces.

"You think that's funny, do you? How many Death Eaters have you lot faced between you? Not even a tenth of what I have! So I'd watch the smart comments, Potter and Black."

"Actually, I believe Prongs here managed to outwit Voldemort himself," said Sirius, in mock contemplation. "Twice if I remember correctly. Prongs?"

"Right you are, Padfoot," said James, feigning amazement.

"Don't get cheeky with me!" yelled Moody.

"Alright. Padfoot, Prongs, why don't you both get cleaned up," interrupted Remus, sensing a fight about to explode. "Alastor, don't take them too seriously. They can't help being utter prats."

"That hurt, Moony," said Sirius, shaking his head dramatically. "Come on, Prongs. I can tell when we're not wanted."

"Sometimes I can't believe that they're your best friends, Remus," said Hestia, snorting in amusement.

"I can," said Lily, entering from the other door, looking exhausted but determined. "He's the bloody mastermind behind all their schemes. Don't let that innocent face fool you, Hestia."

"I'm afraid Lily is right," said Remus, laughing lightly. "Rough night?"

"You wouldn't imagine," said Lily, sighing tiredly. "Enough of that. I heard that Jess is coming back soon."

"She should be here around Easter," said Remus, a small smile tugging at his features at the thought of his girlfriend, Jessica Parker, returning from America.

"I can't wait! I really miss her," said Lily with a happy sigh. "She's got such an odd sense of humor. It's utterly refreshing."

"Yeah," said Remus, staring at the fire with a soft expression on his face.

* * *

"We are deeply saddened by the death of the McKinnon family. Marlene was a brave and dynamic witch, who served as an invaluable member of the Order of the Phoenix. We raise our wands to her, and her family - all of whom were murdered by Lord Voldemort and his followers. Their loss shall only serve to embolden our purpose."

Dumbledore finished his speech and pointed his wand towards the sky. The Order members followed suit, a deafening silence accompanying the old wizard's words. Lily started shaking as she tried to contain the tears. Beside her, Dorcas had started weeping silently as Peter and Benjy looked on with pale faces. James rubbed his eyes furiously, knocking his glasses askew. Remus and Jessica stood silently, reflecting on the horrific turn of events. Arthur and Molly Weasley were there with their three little boys. Molly was also heavily pregnant with her fourth child. Sirius looked angry as he remembered the countless times they had all spent together in the Gryffindor common room, Marlene's tinkling laugh ringing in his ears. The stark absence of one Order member, made his skin crawl. Where was she? He hadn't seen her since the first Order meeting in the summer after they had graduated. Had she fled? Was she a coward? Was she alive? Why hadn't she written to anyone?

He gripped his wand tightly, his knuckles turning white with the force. Beside him, he heard the soft sobs of Alice Longbottom as she held on to Frank's arm.

Unfortunately, this was just the beginning.

* * *

 **It's difficult to transition into a different tone of writing but hopefully the effect wasn't too jarring. As we get closer to the end, the story does get darker and more grim.**

 **Please leave a review to let me know how you like the story!**

 **Cheers!**


	36. Here's To The Ones Who Dream

**A/N- Here's the next one. This is around the beginning of 1980, in case anyone was wondering. I have most of the story planned so hopefully I'll be able to finish it off quickly.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Death everywhere. Bodies dropping like flies - wizards, muggles and everything in between. Voldemort was fear. Voldemort was terror. Voldemort was death. The Ministry of Magic tried its utmost to send Aurors into potential target areas. But each time, they would reach too late. Soon, it became certain that there was someone passing information to the dark side. There was never any concrete proof of a single person's involvement, just hints and whispers which would foster the first seeds of doubt. And doubt can grow on practically nothing. Like the most tenacious weed, it slowly but firmly draws itself up, moving from one part of the mind to another, spreading suspicion, increasing anxiety and poisoning trust. Perhaps this was why Voldemort had gained such tremendous power. He wasn't just an extremely powerful wizard, he also knew exactly how to tear people apart. The more unsure, the more doubtful, the more frightened - this became a terrifying trend in his campaign against those you opposed him.

Albus Dumbledore knew Tom Riddle. He knew the pride and arrogance which dictated each and every one of his moves. He knew that defeating him was near impossible. He also knew that he had two very powerful weapons. Lily Evans and James Potter.

19 year old Lily Evans was a clever witch, a brilliant potioneer, a good duelist, an empathic member of the Order, and a muggleborn. She was the antithesis of everything Voldemort was and represented. She did not take pride in her abilities, she was humble, she knew fear and she was an uncommonly kind person. She had faced discrimination and prejudice throughout her life, and she had learnt that people do the most terrible things when they're afraid. She wasn't quick to trust, but she was willing to look beyond initial appearances. Her magic was so strong because she poured her soul into it, not afraid or ashamed of who she was. It was no wonder that she had come into Voldemort's radar. She was everything that Voldemort feared, and therefore wanted to eliminate.

Another 19 year old, James Potter, although sharing many traits with Voldemort, differed where it mattered most. James had been arrogant in school, although that had faded over time. He knew he was a fantastic wizard. He was a pureblood. And he loved with all his heart. Every person who knew James Potter, knew that he was the one person willing to dole out second, third, fourth and even fifth chances. James was not a quitter. He would never give up on people. He liked to believe that under the right circumstances, everyone would be able to reform. Perhaps it was because he came from an exceedingly rich family with parents who often spoiled him silly. Maybe it made him slightly naive to the ways of the world. But that was James Potter's greatest gift - his ability to love and care for people. Underneath his mischief, pranks, silly arrogance and inflated ego, there stood a young man hoping that he could change the world.

And all of Dumbledore's well-laid plans went astray when it was suddenly announced that Lily Evans was 4 weeks pregnant.

"Honestly, Prongs, do you have no control?" asked Sirius, grinning from ear to ear. "I mean, I know that Evans is fit, but couldn't you keep it in your pants for a little longer? Not that I mind this development too much. I can't wait for little Prongslet!"

Lily scrunched up her nose. "Prongslet? Excuse me? I'd rather you didn't refer to our unborn child as 'Prongslet'. It's bad enough that I've got a Prongs."

"Aw, Evans, you know you love it. How could you not?" said Sirius. He nudged James in the ribs, causing him to stir violently. "Prongsy, you've been awfully quiet. Responsibility getting the better of you?"

"Huh? No… I was actually wondering about the baby. I spoke to Dumbledore earlier," said James, thoughtfully.

"Oh? What did he say?" said Remus, noting the odd edge in his friend's voice.

"He suggested that we abort it."

"What?!"

"Oh dear…"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Everyone turned to the loudest exclamation that came from a furious redhead.

"I will NOT abort our baby! And if you would rather not have anything to do with it, I'm fine looking after it on my own! Do you understand, James Fleamont Potter?" she finished indignantly.

"Really?" said James, looking a little astonished. Slowly a grin formed on his face. "I'm so glad you feel that way, Lils. I didn't want to abort our baby either but Dumbledore was telling me about all the dangers of bringing a kid into the world now. And also how we'd be liabilities after that. Not to mention the fact that you wouldn't be able to go on missions for a while."

"Fuck all that shit. I am not giving up our baby."

James laughed and swiftly moved in to kiss Lily. Remus gave them a small smile while Sirius wolf whistled.

"I'd ask you lovebirds to keep it clean, but you've already done your bit."

"Ew, Sirius!" said Lily, throwing a cushion at him.

"I didn't do anything!" he cried indignantly as James and Remus joined in with more cushions. "I'm outnumbered here!"

* * *

Remus was sitting outside the garden in front of James' house. He thought back at everything that had just happened inside with a small smile on his face.

"You complete arse, Potter!" yelled Lily, flinging a book at the bespectacled boy in front of her. James grabbed it expertly and ran across the room, hoping to avoid further heavy objects sent in his direction.

"What'd you do, Prongs?" asked Sirius, grinning at them both. Lily turned towards him, belly slightly swollen, sweat glistening on her face. All that was belied by the fact that she was glowering with rage. "Woah, Evans, calm down."

"Calm down? _Calm down?_ " she yelled, marching towards Sirius, who had backed up hastily into a foot stool and almost lost his balance. "I am _pregnant_! Do you know how difficult that is?"

Sirius was about to answer, when he felt Remus beside him. "For Merlin's sake, Padfoot, _don't answer!_ " he whispered urgently.

"I can't go on missions! I have to control what kind of food I eat! Everyone is patronising me for some unfathomable reason! And to top it off, my boyfriend wants to marry me because he's embarrassed to have a child out of wedlock!"

James moved the book from in front of his face, looking bewildered. He was about to open his mouth, when both Sirius and Remus hushed him violently.

"I can't believe you, James," she said, her volume lowering slightly. "How could you…"

"Lil's, you've got it all wrong," said James, getting up and ignoring Sirius and Remus asking him to keep shut and far away. "I don't want to marry you because you're pregnant. I want to marry you because I love you."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice very quiet.

"Of course! I've known that I wanted to marry you since seventh year. I've always fancied you, Lils. But it's been awhile since that has changed. I love you, Evans. I have for the longest time."

Sirius and Remus watched with bated breath as Lily stood still, considering what James had just said.

"What do you say? Will you marry me?" asked James, hesitantly.

"Yes. Yes! Of course! I thought… But now that you've… Oh, James!" she said, hugging him with all her might.

James looked extremely relieved as he stroked her hair, gentle and loving in every way. The others came forward and joined in the hug as congratulations were passed along. James' parents came home a little later and were overjoyed to hear the news. The first order of business was to inform Lily's parents, and with a lot of help from the redhead, the Potter's were able to use the telephone and speak to their future in-laws.

The date was set for the Easter weekend. It was close enough that Lily wouldn't be too heavily pregnant but far enough so that a proper wedding could be planned. The Order was recruited to help in any way possible. Molly had just given birth to twin boys - utterly adorable and far too mischievous for a couple of infants. Sirius and James had a fantastic time playing with them, while the others tried to get the work done. James had also invited Sirius' cousin Andromeda and her husband Ted. Though not officially in the Order, they had been helping Dumbledore in various ways. Their 6 year old daughter, Nymphadora would just follow Remus and Jessica around. Being a metamorphmagus, she would change her hair color unknowingly and end up confusing poor Peter. Dorcas, Benjy and Hestia would come back from their respective missions and stay up late to work on any wedding preparations. Even Moody had helped out, barking orders to a few frightened Aurors in training.

James was the happiest person alive. He had burst into tears a number of times, Sirius, Remus and Peter assuring him that he was indeed not dreaming. Lily was grateful that her parents were living with her, under magical protection. Even in these tough times, Petunia and her husband Vernon had refused to share in her joy. Mrs. Evans consoled Lily, assuring her that things would slowly get better between the two of them.

In the midst of these preparations, Jessica had a bit of news for Remus.

"So it would cure my lycanthropy?" asked Remus, skeptically.

"Not cure," she replied, taking out a piece of parchment. "Damocles Belby has been working with Aconite for a while now and he suddenly came across a way to work it into a potion to fight lycanthropy. Drinking the potion would render you harmless during the full moon. No worries and no risks."

"But wouldn't it be terribly tricky to brew?"

"Yes. But," said Jessica, with a bright grin. "Damocles happens to be an old family friend. I'm sure I could pull some strings."

"That's really nice of you, Jess. But I couldn't… It's too big a favor."

"Oh shut up, Remus," said Jessica, rolling her eyes. "You need to stop this I-don't-deserve-help-because-I'm-such-a-monster rubbish. I'm going to get you the potion so all you need to decide when and where you want to transform."

Remus bit his lip worriedly. He hadn't thought that telling Jessica about his condition would mean that she would manage to find a very rare and expensive cure which she could somehow procure through family connections. He would feel too indebted. His desire to shut out everyone and everything had been growing stronger with the war.

"Look, Remus. You've known me long enough to know that I won't stop. So you might as well pick your conditions."

"Alright," conceded Remus with a sigh. "We'll go to your place. I'll move my stuff from the Potters'. I can transform there without the others knowing. You cannot tell anyone else about this potion, Jess. If you do, I swear to Merlin that I won't take it."

"I can't believe how stubborn you are," said Jessica, rolling her eyes. "And what about James, Sirius and Peter? What about when they'll want to be with you during your transformations?"

"I'll think of something. But you can't tell them anything."

"Fine."

"Thank you," he said, with a sad smile.

"I don't know why you feel so indebted, Remus. I'm doing this because I love you," she said, stroking his cheek.

"I love you too, Jess," said Remus, kissing her softly.

* * *

A couple of weeks before James and Lily's wedding, Dumbledore recruited four people to go on a very dangerous mission. Frank and Alice Longbottom, Caradoc Dearborn and Emmeline Vance.

"There has been some unusual activity at the Black family home. For matters of discretion, you are to keep this mission to yourselves. I know Sirius is greatly invested in his family's doings and would not hesitate to charge into a dangerous situation without consideration. As you may have heard Lady Walburga has been of very ill health recently, following the death of her husband, Orion. Their younger son, Regulus, a known Death Eater has been significantly under the radar for the past few months. I have it on excellent authority that tonight, the Black family home will be almost completely empty, providing us the perfect opportunity to investigate. I have already briefed you on protective measures you will encounter and how to best handle anything untoward. Please be careful and see whether you can find what is causing the unusual activity. Good luck."

12 Grimmauld Place was a terrifically gloomy house which screamed despair, death and destruction.

"Merlin, no wonder Sirius ran away," muttered Caradoc. They moved in cautiously, breaking into the house with minimum difficulty thanks to Dumbledore's instructions. The inside of the house was a tribute to everything wrong with the wizarding community. Anti-muggle, pro-Voldemort and reflecting the heavy influence of the Dark Arts.

"Let's get this over with quickly," said Alice, shuddering at the sight of the house elves heads hanging on the walls.

"I agree. Let's split up into two groups," said Frank in a low voice. He and Alice started with the ground floor, while Caradoc and Emmeline went up to the first floor.

There wasn't much to find other than various Dark objects and anti-muggle propaganda. In fact, Frank and Alice were done with their floor quite quickly. They moved on to the library next, hoping that they would be able to locate something of use.

Meanwhile, Caradoc and Emmeline had just finished with Sirius' room. It had been full of posters of muggle women in bikinis and various kinds of motorbikes.

"Such a prat," snorted Emmeline.

"I'm quite sure he just used his mother's irritation as a justification for all the stuff he had already put here," said Caradoc with a laugh. "Sirius has always been such a dog."

"Come on," said Emmeline, walking out through the door. "We need to look into Regulus' room as well."

It was a sharp contrast to Sirius' room. It was mainly dark green and black, sober and uninviting. There were a few newspaper clippings here and there, but other than that Regulus Black appeared to be a very neat and organized, albeit unimaginative, Death Eater.

"Hey, what's this?" said Emmeline, picking up a piece of paper which had fallen on the ground.

"Em! I think I've got something!" said Caradoc, looking curiously at the object in his hands.

"This can't be…"

"Merlin's beard!"

They both looked at each other in shock, astounded by each of their individual discoveries. But before either of them could say anything there was a deafening pop and the room was filled with loud screeches.

"Blood traitors! Blood traitors in the Noble and Ancient House of Black! This is an outrage!" screamed a beady looking house elf.

"Shite!" cursed Caradoc. "Let's get out of here! Frank! Alic-"

Before he could continue, they were suddenly surrounded by half a dozen hooded figures. They wore masks to cover their faces and Emmeline caught a glimpse of a tattoo on one of their forearms.

" _Stupefy!_ "

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

" _Crucio!_ "

" _Impedimenta!_ "

" _Reducto!_ "

" _Avada Kedavra!_ "

" _Petrificus Totalus!_ "

Spells of many different colors shot out of the wands and rebounded on the various items in the house. Frank, Alice, Caradoc and Emmeline struggled to ward of the host of Death Eaters who had no doubt been summoned by the house elf's shrieks. A few of the Death Eaters weren't too competent, a couple of spells sufficient to knock them out. Just as they were escaping through the door, a jet of green light hit Caradoc on his back, causing him to crumple into a heap on the floor.

"DOC! NO!" shouted Emmeline, frozen by the sight in front of her.

"Em! We have to go! He's gone! We need to get out of here!" shouted Frank as he cast another spell at one of the Death Eaters. He and Alice grabbed Emmeline from either side and performed Side-Along Apparation to get back to headquarters.

Once there, Hestia and Dorcas quickly administered potions and healing spells on them, while Dumbledore gravely examined what had been brought back for him at the cost of Caradoc Dearborn's life.

 _To the Dark Lord,_

 _I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more."_

 _R.A.B_

The locket quivered on Dumbledore's desk.

* * *

"Heard you got knocked up by Potter."

Lily turned around in surprise, eyes widening in astonishment at the person standing in front of her.

"SIA!"

Both girls exchanged tight hugs, or as tight as possible with Lily's protruding belly. It had been about two years since they had last seen each other.

"I can't believe you're here! I didn't think you knew about the wedding!"

"Are you kidding? I'm surprised James didn't put out a PSA with the heading "Proof I had sex with Lily Evans!"," said Sia with a grin.

"Oh shut up! It's not that bad."

"Oh please! The bloke's been in love with you since Merlin knows when. I honestly thought he'd accidentally kill Voldemort out of sheer excitement," snorted Sia.

"Speaking of, have you met anyone else?" asked Lily, looking at her knowingly.

"No. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone I'm here. Especially not…" Sia trailed off, glaring at her friend.

"Fine fine. But how are you going to attend the wedding without people seeing you? Do you have an Invisibility Cloak stashed in that bag of yours?"

Sia grinned wickedly but shook her head. "Nothing as exciting as that. I have my ways, Ms. Soon-to-be-Potter Evans."

"So I can't tell James?" asked Lily, pouting slightly.

"No. I'll find a way to meet him without anyone else seeing. You," she said, pointing her finger at Lily. "Just need to keep quiet."

"Fine," sighed Lily. "Is that why you chose now? Because this is the very brief 30 minutes prior to the wedding that the bride must stay locked away?"

"Absolutely! Plus everyone's too busy making sure that James doesn't collapse from a fit of nerves, so," she said, chuckling at the idea of the young man losing his bearings just before his wedding.

"Very smart. Quite devious actua-"

"Evans, what are yo-"

Lily and Sia froze at the sound of a familiar melodious voice with a hint of haughtiness. There stood Sirius Black in his best man's tuxedo, looking impeccably handsome and a tad curious.

* * *

He couldn't believe his eyes. There she stood, next to Lily, looking the same but strangely unrecognizable. Her hair was in a loose bun, a few strands falling on her face. Despite the familiar feelings, he could see that something was different. Her posture, her face, her skin - something was off.

"Hello Trouble."

Her head snapped up in his direction once again, and for a second he saw panic.

"Sirius."

"Sirius? Why're you here?" This time it was Lily looking a little vexed. A comical sight really because her wedding dress was all lace and delicate detailing while her expression showed fire and annoyance.

"Prongs was freaking out. Moony thought it was better for me to go and check on you rather than let Prongs run in and see you before the wedding," he replied easily. He was still looking at Sia. She didn't look too thrilled to see him. He wondered why. He hadn't seen her since they had finished at Hogwarts. Two long years later he would've thought she might at least smile at him. Especially how they had left things off.

"I'm fine. You aren't supposed to be here!" said Lily, extremely annoyed. "Make sure that James is alright. And don't tell anyone what you saw just now."

Sirius stared at Sia, trying to gauge her expression.

"Sirius!"

"Alright! Merlin! Don't get your wand in a knot, Evans! My lips are sealed," he said, exiting. "Though I don't know why.

* * *

It was a beautiful wedding. Simple, classic and extremely emotional as everyone marvelled at the strength of Lily and James' love enduring a terrible war. Sia stood far away, hidden under a Disillusionment Charm, wiping her eyes as the couple exchanged vows. As the rings were placed on their fingers, Sia took it as her cue to leave. She wished that she could have spoken to James but she really couldn't risk being seen by anyone.

Nearing the apparation spot, she sensed someone behind her. Sure enough, there was a big black dog padding softly through the grass. Panic flitted through her eyes for a second before she hurried to get away. She wasn't quick enough because Sirius was there, standing in front of her, a frown on his forehead.

"Where're you going?"

She refused to answer him, turning away and hoping she would be able to leave before anyone else saw her.

"What's happened?"

She refused to look at him. Her back was rigid and turned towards him. He was growing impatient. She had been hiding throughout the wedding and now that it was over, she was trying to escape without saying anything.

"Damn it, Sia! Why the fuck aren't you saying anything?"

"Don't you care about anyone anymore? You didn't keep in touch with any of us for more than two years! Lily, Remus, James-" He stopped, hesitating to say his own name. "Heck, what about your Ravenclaw friends? Did you even stay in contact with Rowena, Anna and Bedelia? What the hell-"

"They're gone."

"What?" he stopped his rant, gazing at her curiously.

"You heard what I said. You aren't deaf."

"I heard you. But I don't understand what you mean."

"Of course you don't."

"How could I if you don't say anything?!"

"THEY'RE GONE SIRIUS! ROWENA WAS CAPTURED BY DEATH EATERS! ANNA IS MISSING! AND-and Be-Bedelia's dead."

"How? When?"

"We were on a mission and well-"

"What're you saying? How could that be? We didn't know anything! How is that possible? You have to go to Dumbledore-"

She let out a hollow laugh. "Dumbledore? He's the one who sent us on the mission."

"Huh…? What mission was this?"

"Grindelwald."

"What?"

"Grindelwald. Dumbledore thinks that his old friend can help in the war against Voldemort. He sent the four of us to try and determine his location."

Sirius' mind was reeling. Grindelwald? The powerful dark wizard whose name evoked terrifying fear only second to Voldemort? Why would Dumbledore…

"Look. I've said too much. I have to go. I'm still on the run. Please don't tell anyone about me," said Sia, imploring him with her anxious voice. "Sirius, you mustn't tell anyone. Please."

"Alright," he said, begrudgingly, his grip loosening on his wand.

"Thank you," she said, pointing her wand and Disapparating before he could stop her.

"Wait-!" he called out, as a soft breeze blew through his hair.

* * *

 **What do you think? What's going to happen next? :O Leave me a little feedback! I'd love that.**

 **Cheers xxx**


	37. Until You Come Back Home

**A/N- I'm baaaaaaaaack! Another chapter for you guys! Trying to tie up as many loose ends as possible. Please do point out anything that doesn't make sense or I haven't managed to address. These last few chapters are key to establish the final part of my story. I've never been at this stage of a story before so I'm a little nervous. The end is in sight and I'm hoping that I don't mess up. lol**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Home. What was home? Family? Not for Sirius Black. Safety? Not for Remus Lupin. What, then, was home? Home was a feeling of knowing that at the end of the day, there was a place to go.

Sia came back home after 3 years, not knowing what to expect. Her parents had gone into hiding and she was yet to see them. Her house, the place where she had grown up, was barren, lifeless and unwelcoming. She touched the walls, the furniture, the curtains - it was the same but it had no life. Home was not home when there was no one there. With a heavy heart, she decided to move her stuff out and shift somewhere closer to the Order headquarters. She would need to ask Dumbledore about that. He'd probably want to reintroduce her during one of the meetings and discuss exactly what had transpired between them and Grindelwald.

She wasn't sure whether she should visit anyone. Rowena was currently in St. Mungo's, recovering from her terrifying capture at the hands of dark wizards. She still didn't know where Anna was, whether she was even alive. She wondered if it would be alright to visit James and Lily. They had already had their baby - she wondered what the little child would be like. She was also somewhat worried about facing a man she knew would most definitely have been made godfather to the child.

Ultimately, her desire to see her friends triumphed over her fear. It was on a cold January afternoon that Sia found herself at Godric's Hollow, walking towards the Potters' with trepidation. The door was slightly open and she walked inside, hoping that she'd run into Lily before anyone else.

"Pa'foo'!"

A tiny squeak came from one of the adjoining rooms. Sia poked her head through the door, curious to see the newest Potter. She was not expecting to see a very handsome wizard in dark pants and a red pullover, swinging his godson in the air with a brilliant smile on his face.

Damn, Sirius was fit.

Sia could actually see a flash of his abs from when his pullover rode up while swinging the baby around. His hair was tousled as always, a slight stubble the only indication of a change in age. She gulped as he laughed at the baby in his arms, a melodious sound which gave her goosebumps.

He put down the baby and turned around, shock registering in his eyes, before it was masked expertly. Sia wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to look anywhere but at him. She knew he would want explanations. But most of that was Dumbledore's department.

"Hi."

Her voice was soft as she looked into his eyes, wondering exactly what was going on inside his head. He stared at her for a few moments before slipping his hands into his pockets, a cold look on his face.

"I'm back," she continued, clearing her throat which had suddenly become hoarse. "For good."

"I'm sorry for running off like that. And not keeping in touch. Dumbledore-"

"-can be an arse," he completed, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"So… are we okay?" she asked, hesitantly.

"How could we not?" he said, his eyes softening.

Sia's face broke out into a full blown grin as she rushed forward and enveloped Sirius in a hug. She had wanted to do this for so long. Just hold him, feeling the rhythm of his beating heart against her cheek, inhaling his cologne and the unmistakable smell of leather. But mainly, having his arms around her. She fixed her head into the crook of his neck, sighing in contentment as he hugged her more tightly, one of his hands moving into her hair.

"Sia!"

They broke apart awkwardly, turning to face James, Lily and Remus. They had identical grinning faces, though James and Remus looked a little more shocked than Lily.

Butterbeer and cauldron cakes in the middle of James and Lily's kitchen. It was perfect, really. And almost surreal. The war had changed so much, destroyed so many lives and ruined the atmosphere of peace and learning which their parents had grown up in. But here, for just this small moment, it seemed like nothing had changed. James and Lily were in love, Remus looked tired but happy and Sirius lounged about in all his glorious attractiveness. Additionally, there was little Harry, the bright spark who clearly had everyone's heart. Especially Sirius'. He was almost smitten by the little baby who looked like the spitting image of his father. Except his eyes.

"He has your eyes, Lils," said Sia.

Sirius snorted into his drink, which strangely did not take away from his attractiveness. "Yeah, how many times have you heard that one, Evans?"

"Oi! It's Potter!" said James, pushing Sirius lightly. Sirius exaggerated his reaction, feigning an almost fall. Unfortunately, Sia was just walking behind him and he bumped into her, his head hitting her chin.

"Merlin! Such a klutz!" said Sia, rubbing her chin with one hand while the other tried to keep Sirius steady by holding on to his shoulder. She could actually smell his hair from her position. It smelt weirdly nice - a light citrus. Trust Sirius to take hair care seriously.

"Woah! Didn't see you there, Trouble," he said with a smirk, his arm automatically going around her waist to keep himself from losing his balance.

"I'm curious about how Sia got that nickname," said James. "Because if anyone should be called 'Trouble', it's Padfoot over here."

Sia rolled her eyes as Sirius excitedly began telling them how she actually had a double life, only masquerading as a boring Ravenclaw. His arm was still around her waist, grazing her lightly as he continued his dramatic narrative. Sia felt her cheeks flush slightly at the proximity but she didn't move away until he had finished telling the story. She took this chance to really look at him after a long time. His angled cheekbones, the aquiline nose and the tiny cleft on his chin - all accentuated by his beautifully tousled hair. She realised that he had noticed her staring when his lip curled upwards slightly. Quickly moving herself away without being too obvious, she went over to Harry, tickling him lightly.

* * *

"No! Please! Don't do this!"

Her voice echoed through the dark alley, falling on deaf ears as they closed in on her.

" _Please!_ " she screamed in agony, fear overtaking her every sense.

" _Crucio!_ " A jet of light hit her and she crumpled to the floor, thrashing about in pain. Her strangled screams were interspersed with low chuckles from her attackers.

"Did you think you would escape with such strong political opinions in your family, Diggle?" came a deep voice.

" _Please… puh-please let… let me… GO!"_ Her hoarse whisper turned into another scream of pain as another jet of light hit her.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

" _Stupefy!_ "

" _Petrificus Totalus!_ "

Eve's eyes closed just as James, Sirius and a couple of others rushed in to fight the Death Eaters who had been torturing her.

* * *

Eve was at St. Mungo's. She hadn't suffered too many injuries because the Order had arrived just in time. The main problem would be the psychological trauma. But that would matter when she regained consciousness.

"You don't look okay."

Sia looked up at Sirius standing behind her chair. He must have just showered because his hair was still wet, which he pushed back with his fingers, giving him a sleek look.

"No, I'm fine," she said, looking away. It was getting difficult to be alone with him. She constantly felt like she would either explode or jump him.

"Such a terrible liar," he said with a chuckle, sitting down beside her. "Haven't managed to improve that in all these years."

"It's Diggle, isn't it?" he continued after a pause, his voice much softer.

"I… can't forget the image of her writhing in pain. Whatever happened in the last few years… I still can't."

"She didn't really do anything, you know," said Sirius, looking into the fireplace. "Avery was never seriously interested in her. He thought she was an easy target to convert and he thought he was going to be successful as well. But then they realised that she wouldn't be of much use. And the fact that she's related to Dedalus Diggle didn't help her cause. She needed to be removed before she became an inconvenience."

"That's despicable," mumbled Sia, feeling slightly sick. She felt conflicted about Eve. She had definitely chosen the wrong side in school but seeing her suffer like that had brought back all her memories from their first five years. The mixture of feelings caused a swirl of unease in the pit of her stomach.

"That's war."

* * *

"Where's Remus?" asked Sia. They were having dinner at James and Lily's. Sirius had just arrived, but she couldn't see their sandy haired friend.

"He's not coming," said Sirius stiffly.

Sia opened her mouth to question him but he walked into the bathroom before she could say anything. Strange. It seemed like Sirius was miffed with Remus. It was probably nothing, but she had never seen any of the Marauders disagree or argue.

"Moony couldn't make it today," said James, coming up behind her. He had a smile on his face as he handed her a Butterbeer. "What's wrong, Sia?"

"Is Sirius mad at Remus for not making it tonight?"

"Uh… Well, not exactly. You see," James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose above his glasses. "Moony's been a bit reclusive these past few months. He doesn't come over that often. We mainly see him at Order meetings."

"I understand! I really do!" he continued, messing his hair up automatically. "It's the war. It's terrible. And Moony has his furry little problem to think of as well. But I don't think Padfoot's as considerate. He's pretty possessive and territorial. It's not surprising really when you look at his Animagus form."

"Hmm."

Later that night, Sia found Sirius standing out on the balcony. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a grey shirt, rolled up at his sleeves. He had a cigarette in his mouth which he was just in the process of lighting.

"When did this happen?" she asked, making him look up in surprise.

"Can't remember," he said, blowing out a puff of smoke.

 _So damn gorgeous. Ugh! Focus on the task at hand!_

"What's up with you and Remus?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, not looking at her.

"You're pissed at him. I can see that. Are you upset that he isn't spending time with you?" she teased.

Her smile dropped abruptly as she saw the look on his face. He looked angry and his eyes were stormy and turbulent.

"Don't talk about things you have no idea about," he growled.

"What are you talking about? What's wrong, Sirius?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Why are you so upset?"

"Because unlike some people gallivanting across Europe, I was actually here. Fighting and watching people turn into traitors," he sneered.

"Gallivanting across Europe? You know I was on a mission! Dumbledore explained it during that meeting!"

"Whatever."

"And what do you mean people turning into traitors? Are you talking about Remus?!"

When he didn't reply, Sia grabbed his shoulder and turned him around to look at her. "What the hell are you saying, Sirius? I don't understand!"

"I wouldn't expect you to. You weren't there. He's changed. He doesn't transform with us anymore. We barely ever see him."

"So? That doesn't mean he's a traitor! He might be transforming alone so as to not bring attention to the rest of you! It isn't Hogwarts anymore! There's a greater chance of people discovering you guys."

"No. That's not all. Peter saw him leave Barnabas Belby's house."

"I don't see how-"

"The Belbys are purebloods who have very strong Anti-Muggle views! There's no question which side of the war they're on!"

"Oh… Did you speak to Remus about it?"

"I tried," scoffed Sirius. "But he blew me off, saying that he had never done something like that."

"Okay. But I still don't think that means that he's a traitor."

"A spy then," sneered Sirius.

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions like that, Sirius," said Sia, looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"I'm not jumping to anything. I just told you that he was in the Belbys' house! Why would he be there otherwise?"

"I don't know! This is the first I'm hearing of it! All I'm saying is that you can't let one stray incident mess up a decade of trust and friendship. This is all we have now!"

"Weren't you the one who told me that I trusted my friends blindly? That I should look at them for who they are? Why're you changing your tune now?" he asked, agitation lacing his angry words.

"Yes! But not like this! Why would you suddenly turn on Remus? Has he ever done anything before this to make you doubt him? And on whose word are you doubting him? Peter? If I remember correctly, he was the one who gave you two the spiked Firewhiskey in 6th year. And you trust his word about someone you've known half your life?!"

"You always had something against Peter."

"Merlin!" said Sia in exasperation. "Sirius! I don't have anything against Peter! I'm telling you the facts! Objectivity isn't your strong point. It's always black and white for you. I'm asking you to consider the possibility of grey."

"There's nothing grey in a war."

* * *

"Horace, I must ask you to be completely honest with me."

Slughorn looked at the Headmaster with agitation clear in his eyes. He fumbled slightly before wringing his hands nervously.

"I can assure you that I have been nothing but, Albus."

"I need to know about the extent of Tom Riddle's knowledge of Horcruxes," replied Dumbledore, his eyes no longer twinkling.

"And I have told you that I do not know anything about that. I do wish you'd stop hassling me about this!"

Dumbledore sighed and walked towards where Fawkes, the phoenix, was perched beside the bookshelf. He slowly stroked the bird's feathers, looking ahead in deep thought.

"Do you remember Ms. Evans?" he asked, after a long silence.

"Wh-? Ye-yes! Of course! She was one of the brightest students I have ever taught in my career. Why?" said Slughorn, momentarily distraction from his righteous indignation.

"She married James Potter and they recently had a child - Harry. He will turn one at the end of this month," said Dumbledore, turning to face the Potions master once again. "Lily and her family have been marked for death by Lord Voldemort. No one has been known to survive once he decides to hunt them down. I need you to tell me about the horcruxes, Horace. It will be vital information that we will require to save the lives of Lily, James and young Harry."

Slughorn looked utterly conflicted. There were beads of sweat glistening on his forehead which he mopped up with his scented handkerchief. Finally, he looked away, sighing in defeat.

"Alright. But no one else can know of this, Albus. This is one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

* * *

James and Lily looked between each other. They were both just 21 years old. Harry was yet to turn one. And now, they had been marked for death by the darkest wizard the world had ever known.

"Will the Fidelius Charm be sufficient?" asked Lily, looking at Dumbledore.

"It shall. It is an extremely rare and old form of magic which Voldemort has always looked down upon. If you both agree to this, we must then go about finding you a Secret Keeper."

"If that's what it takes to save Harry, then we agree," said James, looking determined as he clutched Lily's hand in his. "And we've already decided on our Secret Keeper. We want it to be Sirius."

"Sirius?" asked Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows just a fraction. "I see the reason for your choice. But I fear Voldemort will see it as well. And that will put Sirius' life in immediate danger. My advice would be to choose someone less obvious."

"No. We want Sirius to be our Secret Keeper. If he agrees, then we will go through with it. I'm sorry, but that is our decision," said Lily, a note of finality in her voice.

"Very well."

* * *

 **A/N- I know I didn't elaborate on what Dumbledore had asked Sia to do or what came off that mission, but that's for another chapter. If you have any questions or find anything even remotely confusing, please let me know! Your comment might be vital in helping me finish the story. Please keep reading! And don't forget to leave a review! I really look forward to those.**

 **Cheers! xxx**


	38. Color Me Shocked

**A/N- Short chapter. But important nonetheless. Give it a read. Only two more to go :) Also, I've started a new story. It's Marauders era again! Give it a read if you want something shorter and lighthearted!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Jessica liked to change her hair color. Recently, she had been trying a blonde shade, cutting her hair into very attractive bangs. She was waiting outside Damocles Belby's house where Remus had gone in for a final meeting. After today, he wouldn't have to visit anymore. The potion had been perfected for his use, working out any kinks which might have affected him.

A few minutes later, he emerged, looking even more ragged than usual. There was just too much going on at this point of time. On top of that, his friendship with the other Marauders had been strained because he had slowly shut himself out from everyone. As much as he denied it, Remus' life force was related to his best friends.

"I think you should tell them," she said, once they had arrived at her house. He turned towards her with a frown.

"What?"

"About the potion. You should tell the others about the Wolfsbane potion," she continued. "They have a right to know. Not to mention the strain that this whole thing has been putting on you."

"I'm fine, Jess," he said, moving into the kitchen and hoping he could avoid the topic.

"Remus, please don't try to avoid this! We are in the middle of a war! Don't alienate the ones closest to you."

"Exactly! We _are_ in the middle of a war! And I am a fucking werewolf! I'm an even greater liability right now! I can't afford to put the others in more danger than they're already in!"

"That's bull! The only thing that can put them in danger is that genocidal maniac roaming around England. And guess what? He's already put everyone in danger!"

"Please, Jess, I don't have the energy to argue with you right now. As endearing as your odd reasoning can be, I really cannot deal with it at this point."

Jessica closed her mouth, surveying her boyfriend with an even gaze. She had known him a few years now. Behind his calm and soothing demeanor, there lay a very frightened and wound up animal, his condition making him even more unwelcoming to social relationships. That's why his friendship with the other Marauders was that much more valuable.

"Alright. If you don't tell them," she paused, as he frowned at her grim expression. "I will."

Remus paled considerably. He knew Jessica well enough to know that she wasn't bluffing. And he could imagine how the others would react to her telling them rather than him. Not well.

"Jess, please…"

"I'm sorry. But that's my final decision."

"Okay. Lily had written to me to come over for dinner before they officially go into hiding. I haven't replied yet. I guess… I guess I'll tell them there. You'll go with me, right?"

"Of course. There's only so much crap I'm willing to dump on you," said Jessica with a grin.

* * *

"RJ!" said Sia, hugging her sandy haired friend. "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?"

"Nice to see you too, Sia," said Remus, grinning at her. "You look good."

They continued their conversation, unaware of the glares that Sirius was sending them.

"Padfoot? Who are you trying to annihilate with that look?" asked James, handing him a bottle of Butterbeer. Sirius merely grunted in response, continuing to eye Remus and Sia distastefully.

"You're still pissed with Moony, aren't you? Come on, Padfoot! He came tonight! I think that's really important!"

"I don't trust him."

"I can't believe you're saying this about Moony."

"You don't have to, Prongs. That's how it is."

James shrugged and moved over to where Peter was playing with Harry. The little boy was very curious about the way Peter's eyes became watery quickly, poking his eye and giggling in delight.

After dinner, cooked by Lily because James had burnt half the kitchen in the sheer excitement of seeing Remus after so long, they all sat around the fireplace for one last meal in the house before the Potters went into hiding. There was Irish coffee for everyone and Lily even allowed Sirius to smoke indoors.

"Jess, how's your mum?" asked Lily, trying to break the slight tension that had been created by Sirius being in the same room as Remus without any distractions.

"She's fine. I'm hoping to go and visit her this Christmas. But, more on that later. Remus actually has something he wants to tell you guys," she replied, nudging her boyfriend.

"Umm…," Remus looked extremely uncomfortable. "Yeah. So I basically wanted to tell you guys about my recent absences. I've actually been staying with Jess. Because-"

"Because?" prompted Lily.

"I've been trying a new potion. Created by Damocles Belby. It's supposed to make me harmless during my transformations."

"Does it work?" asked Lily, holding her breath.

"Yes."

"That's brilliant, Moony! Why didn't you tell us about this before?" said James, clapping his friend on the back.

Everyone continued asking Remus questions about this new development. Except Sirius. He sat with a frozen look on his face, Remus' words ringing in his ears. A potion to help ease his transformations. That was probably why he was at the Belby household. Everything was starting to make sense and Sirius felt regret course through his veins like poison.

"Alright. Now it's our turn to share something with you guys," said Lily, putting Harry into the bassinet.

"You're not pregnant again, are you?" teased Sia.

"No," scoffed James, turning to look at Lily for confirmation. She shook her head and James looked even more relieved. "No!"

"We've decided on our Secret Keeper," she continued, elbowing James.

"Ye-yeah. Padfoot, would you do us the honor?"

Sirius was woken out of his tumultuous thoughts at the mention of his name. He frowned as everyone looked at him, expecting him to jump at the chance to protect James, Lily and Harry in any way possible.

"No."

"What? But Padf-"

"I think Moony should do it," he said, calling Remus by his nickname for the first time in many months. "I'm the obvious choice. Voldemort won't see it coming if you make Moony your Secret Keeper. It makes perfect sense!"

There was a reason why Sirius had been so popular in school. He was extremely charismatic and had a way with words, his tone and body language working as very persuasive factors.

"Well…"

"Remus? Would you be okay with that?" asked Lily.

"I'd be honored," said Remus, fighting to hold back his tears. In his entire life, he had never received this sort of value from anyone, even when his friends had learned how to become Animagi for his sake. This was different. He was responsible for something. He finally felt like he was worthy.

* * *

"Excellent work, Wormtail. You have proven yourself to be very valuable."

Peter cowered slightly as the Dark Lord smiled at him. It was a frightening sight. Luckily, his attention was diverted by one of the other Death Eaters.

"My Lord, is it necessary to target the entire family?" asked Snape, his slightly shaking hands the only indication of his anxiety.

"Severus, I haven't forgotten about your request regarding Lily Potter. She shall be spared as long as she does not get in my way," said the Dark Lord, silkily, moving on to other concerns.

Snape let out a shaky breath. He knew what he was going to do would definitely put his life at risk.

"I don't understand, Severus," said Dumbledore, looking at his old pupil with a piercing gaze.

"Please. You need to save her. Do whatever is necessary! But just make sure that nothing happens to her!"

"Then you must pledge to work for our side. Help us stop Voldemort."

"Whatever it takes…"

* * *

Sirius stood stock still, replaying exactly what Dumbledore had just told him. Regulus was dead. He had died trying to foil Voldemort's plans. His little brother. A known Death Eater. A traitor of the dark side. A tragic hero.

Sia looked at him, seeing various emotions flit across his face. She wondered why Dumbledore had chosen this moment to tell him. Regulus had died a while ago and Dumbledore had found out about it much before. What was the significance of this moment?

"Tomorrow, we have a very important Order meeting. It concerns what we found along with the news of Regulus' death. I wished to give you some time to digest this news on your own, Sirius. Get some rest."

"I need a drink," muttered Sirius, stalking out of the room.

In a few minutes, they were both at the Leaky Cauldron, blending into the sea of witches and wizards out on a Friday night. Sirius downed a couple of shots before thanking Tom, the innkeeper, and moving out to the relatively empty terrace. Sia grabbed her drink and followed, hoping he wasn't planning on doing something stupid.

"I'm not going to do something stupid," he said, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Of course not. That would be completely out of character," she said, rolling her eyes and sitting down next to him.

Sirius chuckled but his eyes were still down. He looked tired. Like he had had enough of what the world was throwing at him.

"I can't believe this," he said, more to himself than Sia. "Reg is dead? I mean… And he was trying to stop Voldemort. It doesn't make sense! He was firmly on the other side. A Death Eater…"

Sia didn't say anything. He continued, talking about moments from his childhood, his bond with Regulus, their gradual falling out and how he had initially blamed himself. It was so strange to see Sirius look so forlorn and unsure of things. It took a lot to rattle him like this. Sia tentatively closed her hand over his, her thumb slowly making circles on his skin.

He let out a shaky breath and threw his cigarette on the ground, crushing it underneath his foot. With his free hand he pinched the bridge of his nose, presumably to prevent any tears from escaping. After a while, he turned his face towards her, his eyes vulnerable but not as downcast as before. Sia moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and inhaling his intoxicating scent. Sirius followed suit, leaning his cheek on her head. They stayed like that for a while, holding hands and enjoying each other's presence. These were rare moments and even though it had been a result of a terrible bit of news, neither of them complained.

"It's getting late," said Sirius after a while. He placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head. "We should get going. Come on, Trouble."

* * *

 **Hey guys! Please leave me a review! I'd love that.**

 **Cheers xxx**


	39. The City is on Fire Tonight

**A/N- Another one! Yay! Let me know if anything confuses you guys.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The Order was gathered at Headquarters, waiting for Dumbledore to begin the meeting. Even though Sia knew what they were going to discuss, she couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as she watched her old Headmaster's steely gaze.

"I trust you are all well. Even though we are living in exceedingly dark times, it is our resolve that will ultimately get us through."

He paused and surveyed the room. Sirius looked mighty pissed at all the drama and suspense. What was the point of being dramatic in an already tense situation?

"Earlier this year, I sent four of our members on an exceedingly dangerous mission to Eastern Europe. They were to seek out Gellert Grindelwald and find out about Lord Voldemort's activities on the Eastern front."

"We did manage to gather some very important information, however, we were unfortunate enough to lose one of our members - Bedelia Dupont. Rowena Arden was at St. Mungo's for nearly a month and has been discharged recently, and we still have no news of Anna Carlisle. However, we did get back Artemisia Adams in one piece. And she conveyed this information to me."

"Voldemort has created Horcruxes. For those of you not aware of this rare piece of magic, a horcrux is an item created through very powerful Dark Magic. It splits the soul into two and one part of it is attached to an item, making it a horcrux. However, only the most heinous deed known to mankind is capable of generating a horcrux - the taking of another's life."

"Voldemort has more than one of these horcruxes, as Grindelwald was able to inform us. At least three, and who knows how many more he intends to create."

"Recently, during a raid at the Black family home, our members were able to recover a most interesting object. A locket which belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Of even more interest is the letter written by Regulus Black to Lord Voldemort regarding this locket. Here he writes about how he hopes to help bring down his former master and even sacrificed his life to recover the locket."

"Upon close examination, we have been able to determine that this locket is a horcrux. Creating a horcrux is one thing, but destroying it is another task altogether. It is an extremely dark and dangerous object, anyone in its vicinity can be affected by its power."

"I will assign you to a few groups to try and find out as much as possible about how to destroy a horcrux. Some of you will be exempt from this of course," he said, looking at James, Lily, Alice and Frank. "But the rest of you will need to proceed with immense caution. Which I'm sure I do not need to remind you."

Afterwards, Mad-Eye left with Dumbledore and McGonagall, leaving the younger members to themselves. James, Lily, Frank, Alice, Arthur and Molly were gathered around the table, sombre expressions on their faces. All of them had one year old infants, and Molly and Arthur had five other children to consider. They were rightly worried about what would happen next.

"Are you three going into hiding this week?" asked Frank.

"Yes. We've made all the arrangements. It's just waiting for now," answered James, messing up his hair.

"Molly, how's Ron? Has he gotten over that vomiting spell?" asked Lily, trying to divert the conversation slightly.

"Oh yes," she said with a small smile. "Although his brothers do give him a hard time. Especially the twins."

"I can imagine," said Lily with a chuckle. "And what about little Neville? Any signs of magic yet?"

"No. But it's far too early," said Frank. "I mean, the only reason we're bothering about this at all is because my mother can be a tad over the top about these things."

"Poor Neville's absolutely terrified of her," said Alice with a sigh.

"Augusta Longbottom, frightens all," said Sirius with a grin.

* * *

Andromeda felt uneasy. There was something wrong. Ted had just returned from the Ministry and looked tired as per usual. He had a few cuts and scrapes here and there, but that was normal. But it wasn't that. She had this odd sense of foreboding.

She glanced at her daughter reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard, her hair changing color as she read through different pages. Something possessed Andromeda to walk over to her and sit down protectively by her side.

"Dromeda, I was wondering if we could get some Chinese food tonight," said Ted, coming out of his room in fresh clothes. "I've really been wanting to try those wantons they've been putting up posters of."

"Sure," she replied, not really looking at him.

"Are you alright?" asked Ted. "You look troubled."

"I'm not sure, Ted. Something's bothering me. I just can't figure out what," she said with a sigh, stroking Nymphadora's hair softly.

"Don't worry about that. It's just the general environment of the wa-" A huge blast from behind them, threw them both over. Andromeda quickly scampered for her daughter who looked terrified and rooted to the spot.

"Let's go!"

Ted fired spells at their attackers as Andromeda picked up their daughter. Once the little girl was safe in her arms, she too began aiming at the Death Eaters who were charging at them in full speed. There were about 5 of them, masks and hoods adding to the confusion. She wondered if any of them was her dear sister Bella.

They ran into a dead end. Apparation was possibly the only option now. But they were too busy trying not to get killed to try and get out of there. She heard a weird cackling laugh and knew immediately that Bella was involved.

"Stop this, Bella! This is your niece!" she yelled, knowing it was futile but hoping to buy themselves some time.

"She's a halfblood. Born of a despicable union between you and that filthy Muggleborn!" yelled the nearest figure. There was no need for her to take off her mask. Nymphadora starting crying at the sound of her vicious cackles.

"Now, now, Bella, play nice," came a silky voice from one of their attackers.

"Lucius. Taking care of Cissy and Draco when you aren't busy attacking her own sister, are you?" said Andromeda, feeling bile rise up her throat. This was beginning to look worse and worse. Bella and Lucius were extremely skilled and dangerous. Not to mention three other unknown wands attacking them.

"Dromeda, darling," said Lucius. "I'm afraid we've spent too much time indulging in idle chitchat. Before we finish you off, why not get to know the one's behind your forthcoming demise."

"Bartemius, the son of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement - Mr. Crouch," he began, as if introducing friends at a dinner party. "He specialises in the Cruciatus. That is Rudolphus Lestrange, your esteemed brother-in-law, whom I'm sure you know all about. And that is his younger brother, Rabastan. Quite a protegee, if you ask me."

"Your family is weird," muttered Ted, wiping off the blood dripping down his cheek from a cut on his eyebrow.

"You have no idea."

"I'm tired of all this ridiculous small talk," said Crouch Jr. His voice sounded odd, maybe even slightly unhinged.

"Very true. We can always count on you for perspective, can't we?" said Lucius, dryly.

"Get ready," muttered Ted, signalling towards their bawling daughter.

"Ted, I won't l-"

"NOW! _Bombarda!_ " yelled Ted, aiming his wand at the wall nearest to them. It came crumbling down on the Death Eaters, giving the Tonks' that split second that they needed to escape.

Andromeda held onto her husband and daughter as she imagined the inside of Sirius' flat. The churning in her stomach indicated that they had been able to Disapparate successfully. Once they had reached their destination, she turned towards her husband with a look of relief. Only, he lay crumpled on the floor, his eyes glassy and still.

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS! WHERE ARE YOU?" she yelled frantically, panic seizing her. Nymphadora had moved over to her father and was shaking him to wake up. But it was too late.

Ted Tonks was dead.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Andrew turned to face Alison Rogers and nodded his head slowly. The Ilvermorny exchange students from their sixth year at Hogwarts had also joined the fight against Voldemort, following Jessica's example. They were currently staking out an abandoned house in search of one of Voldemort's horcruxes.

"What are we looking for, again?" asked Adrian Bradley, frowning as he looked around the room.

"Not sure. It's something of value. According to Dumbledore, Voldemort would never use a common object to turn into a horcrux. It would be something that would magnify his power or heritage or something like that."

"Pompous ass," muttered Susan Finley, usually the more reserved one.

"Can't disagree with you there," said Andrew, darkly. They moved around the place, placing protective spells wherever possible. It was supposedly the former house of Hepzibah Smith, a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff.

"Oh my god!" cried Alison. "There's somebody here! I'm not sure whether she's breathing!"

Everyone rushed into the room she was in, gathering around the body Alison had stumbled upon. Andrew's eyes widened in horror as he recognised the person.

"Th-that's Anna… Oh dear…." he said, starting to shake.

"Calm down, Knightley," said Adrian. "She's still breathing. But she's pretty banged up. We need to get her to St. Mungo's right now!"

* * *

Lily sat staring at the package in her hands. She didn't know what to think of it. Such a tiny thing, causing such a lot of conflict inside her. Emotions running at each other with swords, bringing up memories and creating bursts of pain inside her.

" _Wh-what the hell are you doing here?" she shouted at the man in front of her. "GET OUT!"_

" _Lily, please… Please, just listen to me. I tried to save them but I was too late," said Snape, his eyes wide and anxious._

" _Don't talk about my parents, Snape!" she spat out his name, making him cringe._

" _Please-"_

" _Don't make me hex you!"_

" _I'm worried, Lily! I don't want anything to happen to you. O-or Potter and your son!"_

 _She lowered her wand at the mention of James and Harry. She would never have thought that Severus would ever say anything about them._

" _Please! There isn't much I can do at this point. But take this. It's not much, but it might make a difference," he said, holding out a small package for her._

" _What is it?" she asked suspiciously._

" _The bottle of Felix Felicis I won in 6th year. I never used it. But Lily… Please… If this would help you in any way… I can't imagine anything happening to you…"_

" _Sev," started Lily, not sure what to say. She recognised Slughorn's signature bottle and wondered if she could really trust her former best friend._

" _I have to go. Please, please stay safe, Lily."_

Lily sighed and placed the bottle on the mantelpiece. She wondered how James would react to it. Probably not well. But she would tell him once he woke up. These days, they didn't see anyone else because of the Fidelius Charm. It was nerve-wracking and she wondered how long it would take before they would all crack from the pressure. She heard Harry wake up in the next room and went over to check on him.

* * *

The war was at its peak. James and Lily had been in hiding for a month now, trying to protect baby Harry. Everyone was worried. Nobody knew whether they'd live to see the next day. And in the middle of all this, Sia couldn't contain her intense desire for Sirius.

They had all had a very stressful day dealing with a fresh set of attacks. Dumbledore had insisted that no one be alone, and so she had somehow ended up at Sirius' place. Which smelt of fresh cologne, leather and something which as so inexplicably him.

He was standing by the firing, poking the logs to make sure they all burned equally. His lean, toned body looked even more alluring against the light from the fire. As he turned around, her breath caught at how utterly handsome he was.

"Sirius?" she said softly, moving towards him.

"Hmm?"

"You smell nice."

He smirked his signature smirk, making her heart race. "Are you flirting with me, Trouble?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I mean, I don't understand it. I can't tell whether it's flirting or not."

He smiled resignedly and stroked her head, looking away from her.

"Sirius," she said, holding his hand and pulling him towards her. "This is a terrible time but please listen to what I have to say."

"I've been in love with you since before the Yule Ball. I was unsure at the time but over the years I've realized that I love you. So much. Everyday and every moment that I was away looking for Grindelwald, I thought of you and how much I missed you. I am completely, hopelessly and irrevocably in love with you."

Sirius stood in stunned silence for a few moments. Her eyes were full of emotion and vulnerability. His heart was pounding as he registered exactly what she had said.

"And what do you propose we do about that?"

Her lips parted slightly as she moved forward and closed the space between them. She kissed him hungrily and he returned her fervor. She pushed herself into him , her hands entangling in his hair. He nipped at her lower lip, making her moan softly. He then went for her neck, he knew that was her spot. She immediately gave in, arching her back and letting out more satisfying groans.

The ache in her body as getting too much so while he continued assaulting her neck, she started unbuttoning his shirt, moving her hands over his toned chest.

"Bra," she said in between desperate kisses.

He obliged and unhooked it, helping her take it off. He steered her towards his bedroom, knocking them over onto the bed, as their lips barely ever left each other's. His hands roamed over her body underneath her top. Soon he felt her hands unbuttoning his frayed jeans. He took his cue and slid off her dark blue slacks, revealing her delicate lingerie.

But there was no time for that. Years of pent up attraction and sexual tension was all being released in one night. Soon, all the clothes were lying strewn on either side of the bed.

Sia had never felt so exhilarated in her whole life. She felt like she would explode but she wanted to keep going. Sirius was driving her mad and she rather believed that she had a similar effect on him.

It was quite a while later, that they fell asleep beneath the single quilt, utterly exhausted and completely wrapped up in each other.

Sirius woke up and marveled at the girl in his arms. He felt so happy and content. Even with the war threatening to tear everything apart, he was relaxed and thrilled at the same time. It was unbelievable that this had finally happened.

He kissed the corner of her mouth as she stirred awake.

"I love you too, Trouble," he whispered, as she removed the quilt from in between them and snuggled into him further.

* * *

 **So... one more chapter left. Heehee**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **Cheers xxx**


	40. Are You Ready For It?

**A/N- This is it. The final chapter. I'm not happy with it at all. But I also know that I would never be happy with the ending no matter how many times I wrote it. So here it is. The last one. Hope you like it**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

There are moments, which forever change the course of history. The question no one ever asks is, are people ever aware that they're part of something historic? Or does that never occur to them because they're so caught up in the moment? Or is history only something that can be understood in retrospect? To someone gearing up for Halloween in 1981, it would seem like a year like most others. Those people could not be more wrong.

"Bella, dear, I hope you remember the arrangements for tonight?" Voldemort's silky voice echoed through the large room, emphasizing the fearful silence.

"Of course, my lord," said Bellatrix, a mad glint in her eyes. "Lucius, Avery, Nott, you know what you have to do."

"How could we forget, Bella? You underestimate us," said Lucius Malfoy, a menacing glare accompanying his smooth voice. "My lord, we all know how important this night is. And we shall not fail you."

"You won't."

* * *

Remus was still weak from last night's full moon. Even though the Wolfsbane potion made his transformations much less painful, he still remained weak for a day or two after returning to human form. More than anything, he felt vulnerable, and he hated it. He had been trusted as the Potters' Secret Keeper but with every passing day, he felt like Sirius should have gotten that title. He was a liability. No matter what people said or did, that would never change. And if his condition somehow ended up placing James, Lily and Harry in harm's way, he'd never forgive himself.

It was around half past seven, when Remus decided that he needed some air. Maybe that would make him feel better. A path ran down the length of the house and then disappeared into a nearby forest. He usually went down that path when he wanted to think about things.

"Well, well, well, Lupin. Out for a walk, in the moonlight..."

Remus spun around, his wand raised. In front of him stood three wizards in black hoods, wearing masks over their faces. Death Eaters. Death Eaters whom he recognised quite well.

"Crouch," he said, trying to steady his voice. "And who do you have with you? The Lestrange brothers? Quite a party, I must say."

"Filthy half-breed," spat out Crouch, walking towards him. Once again, Remus was struck by the maniacal glint in his eyes, visible even through the mask.

"Don't do anything you'll regret later, Crouch," said Remus, feeling his palms start to sweat. This wasn't a great situation. He was definitely outnumbered and these Death Eaters were no pushovers.

"Depends on whether you choose to cooperate," said one of the Lestrange brothers. They began walking towards him and Remus knew that he wouldn't be able to handle this on his own.

" _Expecto Patronum_!" he muttered, sending out a silvery animal to alert the Order members.

* * *

Sirius was at the Order Headquarters, waiting for a few of the members to arrive for an impromptu meeting. He wondered why Dumbledore had summoned them. The door opened and Sia walked in, yawning lightly.

Sirius grinned and walked up to her, placing a hand on the wall behind her and leaning in. She turned to look at him and smirked at the expression on his face.

"Hello, Trouble," he said, his husky voice sending a shiver down her. Slowly brushing his nose against hers, he leaned in and softly captured her lips in a kiss. Sia's hands automatically grabbed his collar, bringing him closer to her.

All of a sudden, there was a loud noise and they broke apart to see a silvery wolf standing near the window.

"Ambushed by Death Eaters. Send help."

"Fuck! That's Moony! Come on, let's go!" yelled Sirius, grabbing Sia's hand and disapparating.

They arrived at a safe spot from where they could follow the Patronus but found that there were some people waiting for them.

"Cousin, where do you think you're going?"

Sirius froze, his hand still holding Sia's. She must have realised who it was as well because he felt her tense next to him.

"Bella," spat out Sirius. "Why don't you go and play with your genocidal pals?"

"Charming, Black," came a silky voice from behind one of the masks. "You've always had a way with words haven't you?"

"Malfoy," breathed out Sia, gulping softly. This situation was not looking good.

"Ah! It's the half blood my cousin's been shagging!" Bellatrix's shrill voice rang out in the darkness, her laugh sounding even more unsettling than usual.

"Are we done with the small talk?" scoffed one of the others. Sia realised it was Avery. She didn't know whether her anger was greater or her fear. She hated the lot of them for everything they had done to people she hardly knew and people she missed dearly. However, she was also very aware of how dangerous they were. Especially Bellatrix. Sirius' deranged cousin had a frightening reputation and the crazy look in her eyes only confirmed all her fears.

"Don't be so impatient, Nicholas," said Malfoy, as if chiding a child for bad behavior. "We're not in a hurry."

"I didn't know you liked to play with your food before eating it," sneered Avery, sending a shudder across Sia's body.

"As riveting as we find this conversation," said Sirius, appraising them coolly. "There are other places we need to be."

"I'm sure there is, Black," said Malfoy, his tone changing slightly. "But I'm afraid we can't let you go."

"We weren't really asking for your permission," scoffed Sia.

"Shut up!" shrieked Bellatrix. "You aren't going anywhere!"

And without any warning she had pulled out her wand, sending a curse in their direction.

"Fuck!" yelled Sirius, ducking out of the way. He looked over at Sia to see whether she was okay. She gave him a quick nod and they both sprung into action, four against two.

Sirius and Sia worked very well together. Almost as well as Sirius and James. On top of that, they had been working together the last few months and were very well versed with each other's tactics. Which was fortunate because otherwise, they wouldn't stand a chance against Voldemort's most powerful followers.

"This," said Sirius, hurling a hex at Avery. "Is beginning-" dodging a curse from his left, "-to look-" flinging a stray object to distract Nott, "-like a-" a particular curse hit the ground near him and knocked him over.

"Trap," completed Sia, barely managing to block an Unforgivable sent by Bellatrix.

* * *

"UGH!" screamed Remus, writhing in pain. His body felt like it had been set on fire, every muscle and tissue threatening to erupt. "UGHHHHHHHH!"

"Tell us where they are!" yelled Crouch, his tongue darting out of his mouth to moisten his lips. "Give it up, Lupin!"

Remus panted heavily, trying to reach for his wand.

" _Crucio!_ "

Remus bit his lip to try and stop himself from shouting out in pain. The force with which he was biting down had drown blood but he'd be damned if he said a word to any of them.

"Werewolf's got a bit of fight in him," said one of the Lestrange brothers. "Let's help him out, eh Rab?"

Two more jets hit Remus' body as he yelped and rolled about, twisting and screaming in agony. Even though he had endured a lot of pain during his transformations, this felt so much worse. For one, he was still weak from his last transformation and secondly, the pure cruelty in the curses being directed at him made them much more powerful and real.

"Ah, I see that Mr. Lupin hasn't been very generous."

Remus was on the verge of passing out, but his ears still registered the eery voice that had just spoken. Red eyes, slits for a nose and a completely shaven head. It was Lord Voldemort in the flesh.

* * *

"Bella! You're getting old!" yelled Sirius, dodging spells and duelling with two people together. He had his signature smirk on his face even in this crisis situation.

"Fuck off!" yelled Bellatrix, her eyes glazing over in anger.

"This is really not a good time for you to be acting like a smarmy git," said Sia, her hands full with Malfoy and Nott. She was backed up against Sirius, both of them protecting each other's backs.

"It's a tried and tested tactic, Trouble," said Sirius with a smirk. "Hey! That was an alliteration! I didn't even mean to do that!"

"Focus!" hissed Sia, catching Nott with a Stinging Jinx.

"On the count of three," said Sirius, grabbing her free hand with his. "One-"

"Sirius-?"

"Two-"

"Wait, what-"

"Three!" Sia felt a lurch at the pit of her stomach as everything went out of focus. Moments later, her feet made contact with solid ground, the urge to throw up overwhelming her.

"Looking a little green there," said Sirius with a grin.

"We need a signal for this Disapparating stunt you seem to love pulling," said Sia with a glare.

"Well where's the fun in that?" he said with another grin.

"UGH!"

The shout came from somewhere ahead and they were brought back to the situation at hand.

"Come on! Moony needs us!"

* * *

This was the end. Remus knew that he wouldn't survive much longer. There was only so much his body could take. He only hoped that it would be over soon and he would die with James and Lily's location.

"Leave him alone!"

Remus felt an odd tug of fear as he recognised the voice. Surely not…

"Ah! How good of you to join us! Come to save your friend, have you?" said Voldemort, his voice sounding oddly pleased.

"Let him go!"

Remus knew for sure this time, fear completely overtaking his body.

"Why of course! But I'd like something in return, if you don't mind."

"Fuck off!"

Remus managed to get up slightly, his vision clearing slightly as the red hair came into view.

"Lily… what are you doing? Get away-"

"Calm down, Remus," said Lily, gripping her wand tightly as she walked towards Voldemort.

"Moony!" Sirius and Sia ran up to the scene, stopping in shock as they registered the scene before him.

"Lils?" asked Sia. "Why're you here?"

"Shut your filthy mouth!" yelled Crouch, moving towards them.

The situation only seemed to be getting worse. Voldemort was soon joined by Bellatrix, Malfoy, Avery and Nott. Sirius, Sia and Lily up against all of them. Remus was still on the ground, trying his utmost to help somehow. It didn't take long for the battle to start, Voldemort moved towards Remus as the others formed a circle around Sirius, Sia and Lily. Curses went flying about, some missing the target and some managing to leave a mark. Sia's left side was bleeding and she could see that Sirius had a large gash near his neck. Lily herself was on fire, expertly deflecting the jets hurtling towards her. Out of the corner of her eye, Sia could see Voldemort moving towards Remus. He wouldn't be able to withstand much more.

"Lils, you need to get back!" hissed Sia. "We'll try and create an opportunity for you. Please go back to James and Harry! Remus won't last long at this rate."

A frown flickered over Lily's face before she nodded imperceptibly.

"GO!"

A flash of red meant that Lily had managed to get out of the Death Eater circle, and Sia sighed in relief. But it was short lived.

Not everyone could see what was going on. Each person saw a particular part of what would happen next. What would eventually go on to alter the course of history.

Bellatrix saw Lily moving towards where Remus was still lying on the floor. Her instinct was to call out to the Dark Lord and alter him of her presence.

Sirius turned at the sound of his cousin's voice, his eyes landing on Lily edging towards Remus and Voldemort.

Avery smirked as he watched the Dark Lord raise his wand, signalling the end.

Crouch let out a maniacal laugh as he watched the mudblood try and negotiate with the Dark Lord.

Nott watched with bated breath as the Dark Lord cast the Killing Curse on the disgusting werewolf.

Sia screamed as Lily dove in front of Remus, the jet of green light hitting her instead of him.

Malfoy's eyes widened in horror as the green light rebounded off the mudblood and hit Lord Voldemort.

Remus opened his eyes to see the red hair turn into blonde as her body crumpled in front of him.

"NO!"

Sirius and Sia rushed towards their friends while Bellatrix yelled in agony at the disintegrating form of her master.

"NO!" came Remus' strangled voice. "Jess… NO! Please Jess-" He held her lifeless body in his hands as Sirius and Sia ran over.

"Remus… Wha- How did this-" Sia felt numb looking at Jessica's limp form. She was dead. She had watched her die.

"Moony…"

Remus clutched Jessica's body to himself, crying helplessly and stroking her cold face.

* * *

Voldemort was dead. Apparently the Killing Curse had rebounded when Jessica had thrown herself in front of Remus. Sia had been utterly confused about everything until Dumbledore had clarified exactly what had transpired on the Night of Halloween.

"Jessica was a metamorphmagus," he said, addressing the room. "It was probably her plan to distract Voldemort long enough for help to arrive. Unfortunately, the events that transpired were not what anyone could have predicted. To my knowledge, Voldemort believed that he longer required the knowledge of the Secret Keeper because he had Lily, or rather, Jessica in the form of Lily. So when he decided to kill Remus, Jessica stepped in between, sacrificing her life in order to protect the Potters and Remus as well. This sacrifice made the curse rebound and robbed Voldemort of his corporeal body. He is, however, not completely gone. The horcruxes continue to harbor parts of his soul and until we destroy them all, we do not destroy Voldemort. But for now, rejoice. It is over for now."

Most of the Death Eaters had been rounded up and carted off to Azkaban, including Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. She hadn't gone down without a fight though - she, along with Crouch and the Lestrange brothers had tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity to avenge the Dark Lord's downfall. Little Neville Longbottom was now in the care of his sharp tongued grandmother, Augusta.

James and Lily were safe, and so was Harry. It was the Order's greatest success and the one thought with which Remus tried to console himself. There were hardly ever any nights where he managed to fall asleep, the image of Lily's face morphing into Jessica's haunting him ever so often. He had become even more reclusive, refusing to see people. Dumbledore had advised people to give him some time and space to grieve, although both James and Sirius had completely disregarded this advice and silently checked on their friend everyday.

Peter had seemingly vanished into thin air. Nobody had heard from the watery eyed boy since the night before Halloween. Snape had turned to the good side, something that Sirius, especially, had a lot of trouble believing. But if Dumbledore trusted the man, he was willing to give it a chance as well.

Andrew and Anna had both started training to become Healers. Rowena was applying to become a Curse Breaker at Gringotts. Dorcas was working at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. James, Lily, Sirius and Sia were all working as Aurors, under the constantly vigilant eye of Alastor Moody.

Overall, things were much better. People were now safe and weren't afraid of being attacked wherever they went. Even though there were people like Malfoy still out in normal wizarding society, it would be awhile before any trouble reared its head.

Arthur and Molly's oldest, Bill, was starting school at Hogwarts in September, and they were in Diagon Alley shopping for supplies when they were joined by a few people.

"Hey there, Bill!"

"Uncle James!" yelled Bill, running up to James with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey Arthur, Molly," said Lily, carrying Harry. "Hey there Ron! Harry's been so restless waiting to see you."

"How are you, Lily?" said Arthur, smiling genially at the red head.

"Great! You left the others at home then?" asked Lily with a grin, noticing that only baby Ginny and Ron were the only other Weasley children in the premise.

"Well, I didn't think the world was ready to face the united forces of the Weasley children," said Molly giving her a knowing look.

"Oh no! I was looking forward to meeting my favorite twins!" said Sirius, walking over to them.

"Uncle Sirius!" yelled Bill, running to Sirius and dragging James with him. "You're here too!"

"Wotcher Bill!" said Sirius with a grin, giving the young boy a high five.

"What're you all doing here?" asked Arthur. "Sia! How've you been?"

"I'm fine, Arthur," said Sia, coming over and tickling Ginny's ear. "We had to check out something over for the Ministry. We saw you lot coming out of Ollivander's and decided to join you."

"That's excellent! We could always use more helping hands," said Arthur, laughing at Bill dragging James and Sirius around.

They all went to Florean Fortescue's for ice cream and chatted and laughed for a while before Ginny began crying. Molly decided to take her and Ron back home while Arthur stayed with Bill to finish buying the books. James and Lily also decided to head back, Harry had fallen asleep a long time ago. This left Sirius and Sia alone.

"So," he said, smirking at her. "It's just you and me."

She rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Astute as always."

"I was thinking," he continued, staring at her with his swirling grey eyes. Sia felt her breath hitch as she registered the blueish hues catching the light as he continued talking. "If you're free tonight, maybe we could get something to eat."

Sia was stumped for a second before she finally found her voice. "Ar-are you asking me out?"

"Well, yeah. You know, after all we've been through, I thought it was finally time," he said, giving her a small wink.

* * *

 **Well, I had to upload the last chapter on Halloween right! It even hinted that in the summary of the story! Anyway, this is done. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm done and I actually have a completed story! I'm sure there are a lot of confusing things in this chapter so feel free to ask me if you need any clarification or if anything doesn't make sense.**

 **Remember, the Marauders are still here. And if you miss them, don't forget to check out my new story _Van the Man on the Jukebox_!**

 **Oh and please review xxxx**


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